


CubbieGirl1723's Promptober 2018 Fics

by CubbieGirl1723



Category: Veronica Mars (Movie 2014), Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Banter, F/M, Ficlets, Fluff, Gen, Light Angst, Promptober 2018, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-23 06:27:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 27,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16153478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CubbieGirl1723/pseuds/CubbieGirl1723
Summary: A collection of fics inspired by Adorkable Author's prompts.Chapters 2 and 18 are companion pieces.Chapters 6, 11, and 15 are set in my “Appendix” universe.Chapters 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, and 23 make up a season 3 AU story called “Just Friends.”Chapters 19-22, 24, and 26 are an AU “FBI Training” story.Chapters 25, 27, 29, 30, and 31 are a season 1 AU story.All others are random but I tried to specify the time period at the beginning so it’s not too confusing :)





	1. Flashlight

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is set post season 2, episode 8 (after the River Styx incident.)

Logan whistles to himself as he saunters to his SUV in the Neptune Grand parking garage. He realizes that it's after midnight but he's having an insane craving for a Double-Double from In and Out. The Grand’s fancy burger just won't cut it tonight. 

Thirty paces away, he beeps the key fob to unlock his car and notices a shadowy figure inside and a flashlight beam waving erratically. 

Instantly on alert, he locks the doors and sets off the panic button, hoping to be able to at least confront whomever is inside. 

To his surprise, it's not Weevil or a PCHer but a blond head that he sees, bobbing frantically as she tugs on the passenger side door handle and jams the unlock button. 

He smirks, shuts off the blaring alarm, and opens the door. Veronica quickly tumbles out with a huff. Her large flashlight rolls onto the ground behind her and she shoves it into the bag hanging from her shoulder. 

“Veronica Mars!” His voice is fake jovial. “To what do I owe the pleasure? Are you planting contraband again? Or just a straight-up B and E?”

He can tell that she is pissed about getting caught. Part of him, a part that he won't admit to when he's sober, is beyond excited to have her send any emotion his way, even anger. Pissing off Veronica had always been a bit of a turn on. The other part of him is beyond excited to have Veronica Mars in a vulnerable position. All in all, this night just got a lot more interesting. 

“I'm not planting anything!” she shoots back hotly. “I lost an earring the other day and thought I'd retrieve it without having to interact with you.” She rolls her eyes, indicating how she feels about their current conversation. 

“You lost an earring! Likely story.”

She huffs and crosses her arms over her chest defensively. “After our lovely visit to the River Styx. I'd rather not check there; I thought maybe it was in your car.”

“I have a whole collection of earrings I've found in the backseat. You should see it sometime.” He wagged his eyebrows at her suggestively. “Without a doubt yours are the cheapest in the bunch.”

“So have you found it or not?” 

“Recently? No.”

She adjusts her bag on her shoulder and goes to brush past him but he steps in front of her, trapping her against the car. 

“How did you break in my car, anyway?” 

She scoffs. “Like I'd tell you my secrets.”

The words hit Logan hard and he thinks of the secrets that they had both kept, the things that had come between them. He looks away so she won't know what's running through his mind but he hears her gulp and knows she's thinking about it, too. 

“Going up to see Duncan?” He sneers to regain the upper hand. “Or should I give him your best?”

Her eyes widen with what he thinks is panic. “No!”

She must have realized how much ammunition she's giving him here because she resumes her cool stare. “No, I'm headed home. He’ll probably sleep better if he doesn't know I was out by myself. He worries, you know. So you don't have to mention it.”

No, he doesn't, Logan thinks. Duncan is too wrapped up in himself to notice. But he lets Veronica get away with her little charade. It feels good to have dirt on her, anyway. 

“How's, uh, my case coming?”

“Good,” she nods and appears more relaxed now that the conversation is back on safe territory. “Still working on the Fitzpatrick angle.”

“Veronica.” He reaches out to grip her arm. “You wouldn't actually go back to the River Styx to look for an earring, right? Or for, like anything? Ever?” 

He couldn't quite manage to keep the concern out of his voice but she has to understand how important this is. He squeezes her arm. 

She puts her hand over his, caresses his fingers, and meets his eyes. 

“No. I never want to go there again.”

The light from the parking garage is making odd orange stripes across her face but he can tell that she is being honest. He lets out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. That's probably as close to admitting that she was scared and made a mistake as Veronica ever gets. 

She drops her hand so he lets go of her arm. 

“I should go. Curfew.” She shrugs, like he understands. When, in reality, he has absolutely no one who cares where he is or what time he comes home. Or if he comes home at all. 

“Yeah. I'm just gonna go…” He trails off and spins his keys around his fingers. He steps aside so that she can pass. His chest is heavy as he watches her walk away

“Veronica.” He clears his throat and she turns around to look at him. “Next time you can just ask. Instead of breaking into my car.”

Instead of the snarky quip he was expecting, Veronica just nods her head. “Okay. Night, Logan.”

He keeps his eyes on her retreating figure all the way to her car. She doesn't look back.


	2. Closed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post MKAT, Logan is home from his deployment.

Logan couldn't stop glancing over at Veronica as he drove. God, it was great to be able to look at her again, actually gaze at her without thousands of miles and a computer screen in between them. He had missed her even more this deployment than the first one, perhaps because he had gotten used to seeing her everyday before he left. 

The deployment was hard, harder than he expected. Filling Bilbo’s spot...it was a constant reminder that his friend was really gone. Eventually he fell into the Navy routine and it helped, probably more than anything else would have, but it didn't mean that he wasn't thrilled to be off that damn ship. The boundaries that the Navy set were good for him; it provided a discipline he didn't know he needed and the work was fulfilling. 

As thankful as he was for the Navy, he was more thankful to be home. All he wanted right now was to get Veronica alone. He hoped that would happen soon. She had picked him up at the base after the fly-in and wouldn't tell him where they were going, only that it was a surprise. She had grudgingly let him drive, only because it was his car and he had pulled the military hero returning from duty card. She kept consulting her phone and would periodically give him directions. 

“Turn left.” She pointed at hidden drive. They were about an hour north of San Diego on the coast but beyond that, he really had no idea where they were going or what she had planned. He was hoping for activities that involved lingerie, a bed, and a shower, not necessarily in that order. 

Her eyes glinted with the delight of surprising him and he couldn't stop looking at her in the passenger seat next to him. 

“Eyes on the road, buddy.”

Okay, maybe he should try to focus a little more. Their fingers were twined together resting on her thigh and he squeezed, sighing with the joy of actually being home. Home to Veronica. 

She had worn motorcycle boots and her black leather jacket to meet him; it was perhaps the least patriotic outfit on display today and the most perfectly Veronica thing to do. She looked amazing and he couldn't wait to get her out of those clothes. 

She smirked at him as a large Victorian house came into view. It had a beautiful backdrop of the ocean in the background and...as they rounded the bend in the road, he noticed large patches of missing shingles, scaffolding, and peeling paint. 

Veronica's smirk slid off her face and was replaced with a frown. “What the hell?” she muttered. She began furiously typing on her phone. 

He pulled the BMW up to the front of the house. He saw the quaint “Beach Bed and Breakfast” sign hanging by the walkway to the house and he could easily make out the “Closed for Renovations” notice tacked over the front door. 

Veronica continued to mutter under her breath. He caught “reservations” and various swear words. 

“Veronica, it's okay…” He trailed off when she held up a finger in warning, asking him to wait a minute. Her face was creased in a frown.

Logan rested his hands on the steering wheel and peered out the window. This did appear to be a lovely spot, if only the house was habitable. 

Veronica swore again. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. He wanted to tell her again that it was okay but thought better of it. 

She cleared her throat. “Apparently, I made us reservations here...a year from now.”

“Ah.” Since he was desperately looking forward to reunion sex, Logan figured now was not the right time for a quip. 

“Wanna find us a place in San Diego?” He offered. “Or just go back to Neptune? If no one expects us there, we won't be bothered.” He gave her a hopeful grin. 

She finally opened her eyes to meet his. “I just really wanted to surprise you with something special.”

“Veronica.” He grazed his knuckles along her cheek. “It's been four months. The backseat of the car would be pretty special right about now.”

The corner of her mouth quirked up in a smile. “I remember it being rather special back there in the past.” She wagged her eyebrows at him. “But let's get you a real bed tonight, hmm?”

“Home?” He asked. 

“Home.”

As Veronica threaded her fingers through his, he realized he already was home. Being with her was all he really wanted. 

And reunion sex. He really wanted that, too. 

“Maybe we could lay a blanket down on the beach?” He offered. 

“No way. Sand gets EVERYWHERE.”

“It would be romantic.”

She snorted, but he realized she hadn't actually said no. 

“C’mon, make my sex on the beach fantasy come true.” His voice was lilting, persuasive. 

“Logan!” She scolded. “I distinctly remember already making it come true already.”

“I've had four long months.” He leaned over the center console and kissed her. “I've added quite a bit.”

She smiled into his mouth as he kissed her again. “Oh, yeah? You should fill me in.”

“Or I could just...show you?” His tone was ridiculously hopeful. 

She winked at him. “Grab the blanket out of the truck.” With that, she opened her door, kicked off her boots, and headed for the sandy beach. 

God, he loves this woman.


	3. Demonstration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post season 3.20 cafeteria scene, a little fix-it ficlet

Wallace watched Veronica tear out of the cafeteria doors and down the sidewalk. She didn't even notice that she blew right by him. 

“Logan!” She called. “Wait!”

As Logan turned around, Veronica threw herself in his arms, wrapping her legs around him like an octopus and practically sucking his face off. Gross. 

He turned away from this highly inappropriate demonstration of affection, disgusted, only to find Piz standing behind him with his mouth slightly open. He clapped him on the shoulder sympathetically. 

“Wallace, I think maybe I should break up with Veronica.” That was the understatement of the year. Piz looked forlorn as he continued to watch the face sucking. 

“Man, she's a great girl but maybe not the one for you.” Wallace jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “I think she's already taken.” 

He turned Piz around from the spectacle taking place in the middle of the sidewalk and walked him back into the cafeteria. “She's the best friend to have on your side, but seriously, the relationship drama she's got going on? I wouldn't wish that on you. Let Echolls deal with it. He's a drama magnet.”

“So, should I call her, do you think?” Piz asked as Wallace took pity on his blindsided friend and bought him a drink. 

Before Wallace could answer, Veronica appeared at their table. 

“Oh. I thought you were otherwise occupied.” Piz’s voice was dripping with bitterness and Veronica's face fell. 

“So much for staying friends,” he heard her whisper under her breath. 

Wallace leapt up and grabbed her sleeve, pulling her away from Piz’s table. 

“Veronica, he saw your little demonstration with Logan outside.” He raised his eyebrows and she grimaced. “Yeah, so did I, and now I need to bleach my eyeballs. Thanks. Anyway, I don't want to get in the middle of things but be nice. Let him walk away thinking that he's too good for you.”

“Sorry about the eyeballs. Thanks for the advice, buddy.” She gave him a quick hug and sidled into his chair at the table. 

Wallace grabbed his book bag and took off. He might be friends with both of them, but they were on their own for this conversation. He knew he'd be picking up the pieces later, anyway. Summer break couldn't get here fast enough. 

And if Echolls and the FBI couldn't straighten out Veronica, well, he still wasn't giving up on her. She'd been through a lot and was still dealing with shit. She was the most loyal person he'd ever met. He hoped he didn't have to give up his roommate for her--but he knew it would be worth it if that was the cost. Veronica Mars truly was his BFF.


	4. Cashmere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short little ficlet, post TDTL

She spotted him from behind at first, in a black cashmere sweater so tight it was practically painted on. She could make out his well-defined shoulder muscles through the thin fabric (she imagined that it was soft, too) and her stomach clenched. He was wearing dark wash jeans and leaning against the restaurant bar, waiting for her, and her mouth actually watered in anticipation. Maybe that's because she was hungry, too. 

Either way, it wouldn't do to let Logan know that. 

She breezed over to him, trying to affect a casual attitude. She was still in her black booties and leather jacket from work but had thrown on a short lacy cream dress before she left the MI office, since it was date night and all. 

“Hey, Sailor! Buy you a drink?” She sidled up to the bar next to him. 

Logan's eyes lit up with pleasure even as he turned to her with his correction, “Naval Aviator.”

It was a long-standing bit between them but it still hadn't gotten old. Nor had dating a sexy fighter pilot, so Veronica went with it. 

“You're late, Bobcat.” He raised an eyebrow, more making a statement than a complaint but she had hoped he wouldn't mention it at all. She didn't want to tell him about the case she was working on so she figured it was time for some damage control. 

“Yeah, I got held up at the office.” She waved her hand as if it was inconsequential. “I'd be happy to make it up to you later,” she wagged her eyebrows at him and stole a sip of his scotch, “or…we could skip dinner and just get dessert to go. Your choice.”

“Mmm. I like the way you think.” He leaned in and placed a kiss on her temple. “How about a compromise? Dinner here, since you went to the trouble of wearing my favorite dress, and then dessert at home. In bed. After we work up an appetite again.”

She squeezed his bicep--yep, the sweater was as soft as she had imagined--and gave a throaty laugh. “Are you forgetting I always have an appetite for dessert?” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “But I think I'll take your deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In one of her stories, CheshireCatStrut puts Logan in a tight sweater and I can't get that image out of my mind--not that I want to! ;) It's "Never Con a Con" if you want to check it out.


	5. Harvest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post MKAT

“What in the world are you watching?”

Veronica comes into their small living room to find Logan channel surfing, watching what suspiciously looks like a Lifetime movie. Or something equally horrifying. 

He starts guiltily and fumbles with the remote. “Um, I didn't hear you come in.”

She sets the grocery bags on the small kitchen counter and hangs up her purse and keys. 

“Echolls.” She shakes her head shamefully. “You should have had it ready to switch over to Sports Center if you didn't want to get caught.” She flops down on the couch next to him. “I thought you would have learned that from all the porn in your youth.”

He raises his eyebrows. “Nobody ever cared about the porn.”

Veronica marvels again at how well this man turned out, all things considered. 

She gestures at the T.V. “I've been thinking maybe it's time to get rid of cable, since nothing is ever on. Unless you've proved me wrong today?” 

“Awe, I don't want to do that,” he whines. “I'd miss the sports too much.”

“Obviously,” she replies dryly and then steals the remote, pressing the guide button to find out what he's watching. It looks horrible, all cheesy acting and cliched plot. 

“Harvest Moon,” she reads off the TV. “I thought that was an anime thing.”

Logan snorts with laughter. “I’m pretty sure that’s Sailor Moon that you're thinking of.”

Veronica waves her hand in the air to imply that it doesn't matter and continues to read the description of the movie. “A pumpkin farm? The big city girl inherits a pumpkin farm?” 

“That happened to a friend of mine just last week,” Logan quips as he puts his arm around her and pulls her close. “It's more common than you'd think.”

“You don't have any friends,” she mumbles as he begins nuzzling her neck. 

He nips her neck with his teeth and then jumps up off the couch before she can retaliate. 

“How about this?” He holds out his hand to help her up. “We can put away the groceries together and then watch this terrible movie and make fun of it.”

“Mystery Science Theater style?”

“Of course.”

“Ice cream?”

“We haven't had dinner yet.”

She glares at him. “Health nut. Popcorn?”

Logan sighs. “I have physical fitness standards I have to meet for my job. You know that, right?”

She wags her eyebrows at him. “I'm aware,” she says aloud and whispers “God bless the Navy,” under her breath. 

“I'll make you some popcorn and warm up some leftovers for me.” He saunters into the kitchen area while Veronica enjoys the view. 

She turns back to the TV. This movie really is awful. Picking it apart with Logan sounds like a great way to unwind. 

His jeans are low on his hips and as he raises his arms to put a box of cereal on the top shelf, (which she’ll never be able to reach again, good thing it’s his tasteless granola) a sliver of tan skin is visible between the waistband of his jeans and his t-shirt. 

On second thought, maybe there are better ways to unwind. She is suddenly thinking of several. When your boyfriend is a sexy fighter pilot, who needs Lifetime movies, anyway? 

She gulps and turns the TV off. There's just something about his back, those rippling muscles. God, he's so hot. 

She heads to the kitchen and comes up behind him, slipping her hands under his shirt and running her nails up his back, the way she knows he likes. 

Logan turns around in her arms and puts his hands on her hips. 

“Hi,” he smirks at her. 

“Wanna work up an appetite before dinner?” She offers. 

“But what about Mystery Science Theater 3000? How will you ever live without knowing the ending to Harvest Moon?” He jokes, kissing her on the tip of her nose. 

“I'll DVR it,” she mumbles and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling his mouth down to hers. 

Logan spins them so that Veronica's back is against the cabinets. He lifts her onto the counter as she wraps her legs around his waist and promptly forgets all about dinner and the movie. She is otherwise occupied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Harvest Moon” is a real movie. I haven’t seen it but it stars Jessy Schram, who played Hannah Griffith on VM.


	6. Exposed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t going to go there for this prompt...and then I changed my mind ;) I also changed the rating on the entire work, but be warned, this chapter is rated Mature for sexual situations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ficlet is set in my “Appendix” universe but all you need to know about that is Logan and Veronica got back together in college and Logan has a beach house. With a hot tub ;)

Set in my Appendix universe 

“Logan, someone will see,” she hissed, grabbing her bikini top with one hand and batting him away with the other. 

“Veronica.” His voice was patient. “I live on a private, deserted beach and the neighbors aren't even close to us. No one will see.” He gave a playful grin and lunged for her bikini strings again. 

“Anyone could walk by! And the lights.” She gestured at the string of twinkling Christmas lights illuminating the deck. 

Logan promptly vaulted out of the hot tub and unplugged the lights, plunging them into darkness. 

“Here. I'll even turn on the jets. Then the bubbles will cover everything.” He flipped the switch and jumped back into the hot tub as the jets roared to life. 

Veronica glanced around. “I just feel so exposed out here.”

Logan nuzzled her neck and managed to get his hands on her bikini strings. “I promise I won't let anyone see you. Privacy was part of the appeal when I bought this place.” His hands slipped lower, under the fabric of her tiny top, cupping her breasts. 

“I kinda like the kinky factor of being outside,” he confessed with a quick bob of his eyebrows and a smirk. “Trust me, it will be fun.”

Veronica didn't say anything but tilted her head to give him access to more of her neck so he figured that meant she wasn't quite so opposed to the idea. 

“Maybe if you just relax a little,” he suggested, loosening her top enough for it to drift away in the water and bending his head to suck on her nipples, “you won't mind so much.”

“Mmmm. Maybe you're right.” Veronica threaded her fingers through his wet hair and held his head to her breast. 

“I have an idea.” Logan maneuvered her until she was sitting on top of one of the hot tub jets. He stayed in front of her, mouth at her breasts and neck, shielding her from view of any late night pedestrians on the beach. “You're totally covered. Do you feel more relaxed now?”

Between his mouth, his fingers creeping into her bikini bottoms, and the hot tub jets, he soon had her very relaxed and forgetting all about her inhibitions. The bikini bottoms soon joined the top, probably clogging the hot tub filter but he didn't care. 

After her orgasm left her breathless and panting, she gave him a wicked grin, tugged his swim trunks down his legs, and straddled him, sliding him inside her. She didn't seem the least bit worried about anyone seeing (or hearing, based on the volume of her moans) them now. 

He watched her breasts rise out of the foamy water with each thrust she made on top of him. The competing temperatures of the hot water and the cool night air, the vision of the bubbles clinging to her breasts, her nipples, hard with arousal brushing against him--it wasn't long before his muscles were clenching and he was coming inside her. 

His head lolled back against the deck of the hot tub as he came down from his orgasm.

“Oh, god, Veronica,” he muttered as she rested her head on his shoulder. 

“Mmmm,” she managed in response. 

She lifted her head and looked around. “You're right, being exposed was way more fun than I ever expected.” 

She winked and pulled his head to hers for another kiss. 

“Thanks for checking ‘hot tub’ off my bucket list,” he mumbled, still a bit dazed. 

“There's a list?”

“It’s long and very detailed. But don't worry. We have our whole lives to accomplish it.”

Veronica stiffened on top of him and his eyes popped open as he realized what he's said. 

She gave him a suspicious look. “Hmm. Amazing sex like that with you for the rest of my life? I guess I could resign myself to the idea.” 

He couldn’t stop the slow smile that spread across his face. He placed a tiny kiss on Veronica’s nose and then held her to him, utterly content in this perfect moment.


	7. Throw Pillow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post MKAT

Post MKAT

Logan doesn’t see Veronica’s car in the parking lot when he gets home, so he assumes that he’s the first one to arrive. He’s not exactly sure what she’s working on, but more and more often she’s starting to get that distracted look on her face that means her mind is trying to puzzle out a case. She’s probably still at the office. He sends her a quick text to find out as he unlocks the door. 

At first when he steps inside, he thinks their apartment has been broken into and ransacked. But then he realizes the only thing that’s actually been destroyed is a throw pillow. 

He sighs and mutters, “Not again,” under his breath. 

Pony had taken a liking—or disliking? He can’t tell—to the new throw pillows Veronica had bought for the couch last week. He personally had thought the pattern was a little bold, garish paisleys with dangling fringe that tickled his skin, but it didn’t make him want to destroy them. He wasn’t a dog, though, so what did he know. This was the second pillow she’d attacked this week. 

“Pony. C’mere, girl.”

The dog slinks guiltily out of their bedroom—he should probably check their shoes, too—and approaches him with her head down and her tail tucked between her legs. 

He scratches her ears but still says sternly, “No more pillows.”

He grabs a trash bag from the cabinet under the kitchen sink and begins picking up the remnants of the pillow and tufts of stuffing. 

“I hope your mom’s not too mad about this,” he tells the dog, conversationally. 

She has settled on the couch and seems unconcerned. 

He’s about halfway done with the cleanup when Veronica arrives home and lets herself in. 

She gasps. “What happened? Is everything okay?”

He gestures at Pony. “Another pillow bit the dust.”

Veronica gives a deep sigh and moans, “Pony!” drawing out the dog’s name. “Not again.”

She helps him pick up the rest of the pillow debris and then pats the dog on the head, flopping down on the couch next to her. “So does this mean we’re never allowed to have throw pillows?”

“Well,” Logan pauses, thoughtful, and sits down with Pony between them. “She’s never bothered with the ones on the bed. And she didn’t seem to mind the old striped ones. So maybe it was just the new ones that offended her.”

“Logan.” Veronica eyes him suspiciously. “Did you convince Pony to chew on my new pillows because you didn’t like them?”

“No! As if I could ever convince Pony to do that.” He rolls his eyes. “She barely sits when I tell her.”

Veronica glances at the dog, who is gazing adoringly at Logan. 

“Your ability to charm females knows no bounds, Echolls.” Her tone is dry. “And don’t think I didn’t notice how you didn’t deny disliking my pillows.”

How was it possible that the dog had destroyed the throw pillows but it was suddenly Logan who was in trouble?

He stands and pulls her up off the couch into his arms so she has to look up to meet his eyes. 

“Veronica. I didn’t love your ugly throw pillows.” She gasps at him playfully. “But I’m sorry Pony ate them. Would you like to go out tomorrow and buy new ones?” He kisses the tip of her nose. 

Mollified, her mouth curves into a small smirk. She knows she’s got him wrapped around her little finger. She nods and kisses him. 

Somehow, he just got suckered into spending his Saturday shopping for home decor items with his girlfriend. He should be appalled at the prospect, he knows this from his single Navy buddies who’ve been teasing him lately about his hopeless state of domesticity, but he kisses Veronica again and, nope, it doesn’t seem to bother him in the least. Bring on the pillows. 

But maybe this time no weird tassels.


	8. Patient

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post MKAT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rated mature ;)

Logan arrives home from work early to find Veronica bustling around the kitchen...in blue hospital scrubs? Is that a stethoscope around her neck?

“What’cha doing, Babe?” He asks casually, leaning against the door frame watching her as she turns around from the kitchen cabinet. Yep, that’s definitely a stethoscope. Plus she has an ID badge clipped to her pocket and she’s wearing white Sketcher sneakers. Her hair is pulled back into a perky ponytail. 

“Oh, I was just prepping dinner.” She turns to him and waves at the ingredients massed on the counter; it looks like spaghetti is on the menu tonight. 

“I meant this,” he gestures at her getup. 

She looks down, like she had forgotten what was wearing. “It was for a case. Insurance fraud is hard to prove and medical records are even harder to get than they used to be.” She winks at him. “It’s a good thing I have some tricks up my sleeve.”

She bends down to get something out of the freezer—garlic bread, probably—and her round ass in those scrubs—it shouldn’t be so alluring, and yet, it is. 

“Veronica, this naughty nurse outfit is really working for you.”

She straightens and turns around, raising an eyebrow at him skeptically. “Um, it’s not even a little bit naughty, Logan.”

“I know. But it’s totally doing it for me. I suddenly want to lie down on the couch and let you take my temperature.” He wags his eyebrows at her. 

She huffs a laugh of surprise at him. “Maybe you do have a fever.” 

“Please, please, please come check,” he begs. 

She smirks at him and he hears her mutter, “Who knew?” under her breath but she stalks over to him anyway. 

“Next patient? Mr. Echolls?” She consults an imaginary clipboard and uses her fake perky voice. “Right this way, sir, and I promise to take good care of you.” She draws out the vowel on the word ‘good’ and throws him a wink over her shoulder as she leads him down the short hallway to their bedroom. 

He knows Veronica has always enjoyed a bit of role play in the bedroom—and her fascination with his uniform had proven to be quite fun only last week when she did something with his hat that the armed services would definitely not approve of. But the way she would drop everything and act out this fantasy—god, she was worth waiting almost a decade for. 

“Here.” She grabs his hand and tugs him on to the bed. “Have a seat on the exam table. And take off your clothes.” Her voice has turned husky as she straddles his lap and helps him unbutton his uniform. 

“Do you have one of those paper gowns you want me to put on?” He jokes. 

“No, that won’t be necessary.” She pushes on his shoulders so he’s laying down and shimmies down his hips—oh, god, the shimmy—her fingers fumbling at his belt. 

“What seems to be the problem today, Mr. Echolls?” She tugs his pants down off his legs as he kicks off his shoes. 

“Mmm.” He’s naked but she’s still fully clothed. God, he’s so hard. He manages to slip his fingers under her shirt as she settles on top of him and tries to tug it off of her but it gets tangled on her stethoscope and ID badge. 

“Uh-uh-uh,” she scolds and wags a finger in his face. “You feel like you have a fever. You should stay still.” 

She obviously wants to be in charge during this fantasy. No arguments from him. 

“Whatever you say, Nurse Veronica,” he concedes. “Make me feel better.” 

She can’t stifle her giggle at that one. In her moment of distraction, he quickly removes her stethoscope, unclips her ID badge, and pulls her shirt over her head, tossing them all on the floor. She’s wearing what he assumes is a very practical sports bra but her lack of sexy lingerie doesn’t diminish his arousal. It kinda fits with the character—and it’s easy to pull off over her head, which he accomplishes when she shrugs at her own underwear choices. 

His hands immediately cup her breasts and she moans his name as she enjoys his fingers and then his mouth on her nipples as he sits up to meet her. 

“You’re definitely my favorite patient today,” she pants as his mouth moves to her neck. “I’ll make sure to do a very thorough examination.”

Now it’s his turn to laugh, giggling into her neck. 

“You don’t have to keep up the roleplay anymore if you don’t want to,” he tells her, still nuzzling her neck. 

But he should have thought before he gave her an opening like that because she says, “I don’t think we’ll have any trouble keeping things up,” with a meaningful glance at his erection. 

He rolls his eyes and doesn’t even give that a response, it was so bad. “I think you should take off your pants.”

“My scrubs?” She pouts. “I thought you liked them.”

“I love them. You should wear them again. Soon. But right now,” he playfully bites her shoulder, “I think I’d like them best on the floor.”

“They are so comfortable, it makes me rethink my career choices a little bit,” she confesses as she removes first her sneakers and then her blue scrubs. Logan watches, stroking himself. 

“You can play doctor with me anytime, Veronica.”

She settles on top of him and as he slides inside her, he once again marvels at the turns his life has taken. Veronica had been the girl of his dreams for ten years but even as he pined for her, he had never let himself imagine that they would actually be here again—together, as a couple, in bed. Every time they made love he was reminded of what a beautiful gift it was. 

And then she shifts on top of him—oh god, it feels amazing—and he is back in the moment. There’s no more time for introspection. He is too caught up in loving Veronica.


	9. Shadow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set in the middle of 3.9, Spit and Eggs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: An angtsy break up ficlet

After allowing herself a good pity party in the shower, Veronica decides it’s time to put on her big girl panties and face the world. 

But it’s easier to face the world with a faithful friend by her side, so after combing through her wet hair and throwing on jeans and a maroon Hearst hoodie, she grabs Backup’s leash and takes him to the beach. 

It’s not warm but the sun is shining. It should be grey and rainy to match her break-up mood, but it’s not surprising that not even the weather will cooperate for her today. 

She lets Backup run by himself for a while, periodically throwing a stick for him because she forgot his favorite tennis ball. As she waits for him to return, she sees her shadow, solitary, on the sand and thinks about all the times she came here with Logan. They would walk, or fool around under the lifeguard stand, or just sit and watch the waves and talk. It’s just her now. 

She should have seen the break up coming, she thinks, but it took her by surprise nonetheless. She took Logan—and his presence in her life—for granted. 

She hears a throat being cleared behind her and she turns. It’s Logan. His hands are in his jeans pockets and he looks as miserable as she feels. She gulps. 

“Hey,” he says. 

“Hey.”

“I like to come here and think,” he explains, “but I didn’t realize you’d be here, too.”

“Because you’re avoiding me now?” Her words come out more bitter than she realized and it surprises her. Another shitty surprise today—it’s like a bad theme running through all her interactions. 

Logan is patient, though, in the face of her smoldering anger. “I’m not avoiding you, Veronica. You’re my best friend and I don’t want to lose that. I just know how you like your space sometimes.”

His thoughtfulness breaks her heart all over again. She sniffles and looks away, into the bright sun reflecting off the ocean, to hide the tears that fill in her eyes. 

Backup returns with his stick but instead of bringing it over to Veronica, he drops it at Logan’s feet and wags his tail excitedly. Logan gives him a small smile, rubs his ears, and tosses the stick down the beach. Backup always liked Logan, more than any other guy she brought home. She doesn’t want to think too much about the significance of that. 

“Friends, huh?” She said after taking a moment to compose herself. She’s proud that her voice barely wavers at all as she says it. 

“Yeah.” Logan’s voice is soft but firm. “I know it might be hard and even weird for a while,” he pauses and their eyes lock, “but Veronica, I don’t have a lot of people in my life. You’re, you’ll always be important to me. So yeah, when we’re ready, I want to stay friends.”

Veronica has so many questions. How will that work? How could she ever stand to see him with someone else? Could they ever just hang out without all their baggage and memories? What about the sexual tension? Will that just disappear someday?

She doesn’t ask any of them. Instead, she gives him a tiny, sad smile. In high school she told him that she couldn’t imagine losing him from her life, and it’s still true. She doesn’t know how it will work, but she quietly says, “Yeah, okay. Friends.” 

Logan matches her small smile and throws the stick again for Backup. She can tell he’s struggling, too, and while earlier that would have pissed her off—he could have avoided this hurt for both of them by not breaking up with her—now she just feels sad, sad that they are both so broken they can’t make things work. She thought if she could be with anyone, it would be Logan, who understood her particular brand of brokenness and accepted it so fully. 

Maybe she can still rest in that acceptance, though, from her friend, and just...not think about making out with him all the time. She was willing to try. 

She breaks the comfortable silence that has cocooned them and says, “Well, Friend, we’ve gotta go. But you can call, you know, sometime, when you want to hang out.”

He nods and drops Backup’s stick, hands in his pockets again. “I will. And you can call, too, Veronica.” 

‘If you need to. But you never need me,’ his words from earlier echo in her mind and she’s so, so thankful he doesn’t say them out loud again. She takes a deep breath because he was right—she had definitely held back from needing him, loving him, as her boyfriend. Maybe she can do better if he’s just a friend. 

“I will,” she says firmly, meaning it. She snaps the leash on a reluctant Backup and waves awkwardly, watching her lone shadow in the sand as she makes her way home.


	10. I Almost Forgot

Logan pulls his midnight blue BMW into the visitors lot on base. He squints into the bright sunrise as he turns to Veronica. 

“You can wait and see the boat off if you want, but seriously, it takes forever and, I’ve seen friends off before—it’s kind of depressing once it leaves. I’m really fine if you just want to say our goodbyes here.”

Veronica nods. She’s been quiet in the car, holding his hand, stroking his fingers. He knows it’s hard for her when he leaves, and he knows she tries to make it easier by not talking about it. Veronica’s avoidance tactics are nothing new to him. 

He leans over the gearshift and kisses her softly. It’s a gentle kiss, full of goodbyes and promises of returns. After he breaks the kiss, she grabs his head and pulls her back to him, fiercely, fingers scrabbling in his short hair. This time the kiss is filled with passion, with “I love yous” and “I miss yous,” unspoken but clearly stated nonetheless. 

“Mmm,” is all Logan can manage after that, resting his forehead on hers. He locks eyes with Veronica for a long moment before clearing his throat and pulling the keys out of the ignition. He opens his door and grabs his Navy-issue seabag out of the back seat before walking over to Veronica’s side and opening the door. 

She steps out of the car, launching herself into his arms for one last embrace. 

After they pull apart, she smiles coyly at him and bites her fingernail. “I almost forgot…”

She steps away from him...and shimmies? What in the world is she doing? She’s reaching under her skirt, sliding something down her legs—oh, god. She tosses him a very tiny, lacey pair of underwear. Her underwear. That she had just been wearing. 

He rubs the silky scrap of material between his fingers and he’s sure his eyes are as wide as saucers. 

“Bobcat,” his voice is rough, “you never cease to amaze me.” 

He shoves the underwear on the top of his seabag and grabs her to him again in a bruising kiss, this one full of gratitude and lust, of “epic” and “always.”

He pulls away, tossing her his car keys, and whistles a few bars of “Anchors Away” as he turns and heads out of the visitors lot with his bag slung over his shoulder. 

He hears her throaty laugh and glances over his shoulder for one last look at her. She’s leaning against his car, in her leather jacket, short skirt, (sans underwear) and her black boots. She winks at him and he knows he will carry that image with him until he returns.


	11. Platform

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene is part of my Appendix universe and fits in a story I’m currently working on.

Appendix universe 

Veronica sighs and grabs another empty cardboard box from the living room. She is excited to be moving in with Logan, she really is, but she absolutely hates the moving process. All the sorting, packing, unpacking, and the overall state of change that it represents—no wonder she’s in a bad mood. 

She turns on the radio to try and distract herself and turns to her desk first. Since she spends a lot of time working there it’s pretty neat; it doesn’t take her long to box up the contents. She labels it carefully so that she can get it unpacked quickly over Christmas break. 

Next she strategically packs her books and photo albums so the boxes aren’t too heavy, and after that it’s the framed pictures and prints on the walls, swathed in newspaper and bubble wrap to protect them. She knows they aren’t going far or even in a moving van but in case Dick shows up to help, it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

Finally, after putting it off long enough, she grabs a trash bag and turns to her closet with a groan. She’s always kept a ton of extra clothes, even stuff she wouldn’t normally wear, because she might need it for a case. Her closet at Logan’s place (or their place, as he’s trying to get her to call it) is huge so it’s not an issue of space; she can keep all the clothes she wants and still have room to buy twice as much. But it just feels like she should go through things first before she packs them. At least maybe separate her “undercover” wardrobe from “normal” wear. 

She ends up keeping most of her clothes, putting garbage bags around the hangers for easy transport. A few things from middle school go in the donation pile—not even for a case will she wear a Hannah Montana t-shirt—but most of the clothes can stay. 

As she’s going through her shoes, the silver platform heels on the bottom of the bin catch her eye. They are covered in glitter and when she bought them, her dad said they reminded him of a disco ball. They could probably come in handy for a case, but she’s not worn them since Homecoming sophomore year. She still remembers buying them with Lilly. Lilly insisted that if she was going to wear that bubblegum pink dress, she at least needed daring shoes. 

That shopping trip was one of the last times they spent together and she knows she can’t wear the shoes without thinking of her best friend. It’s been more than four years but sometimes Veronica still misses her like it was yesterday. 

“Veronica! You have some boxes ready for me?”

Logan comes bounding in the room and finds her sitting on the floor, cradling a shoe, with tears in her eyes. 

His face goes from jovial to concerned in a heartbeat.

“Hey. You okay?” He settles on the floor next to her, eyes on her face, and gently strokes her back. 

She nods. “Yeah, I’m fine.” It comes out as a whisper, and not a very convincing one, at that. 

“Are you having second thoughts about moving in with me? Because—”

She cuts Logan off before he can start to freak out and lays a calming hand on his shoulder. 

“No. I was just lost for a second in a memory.” She visibly shakes off her introspection and stands, holding her hand out to pull Logan up, as well. 

“I bought these shoes with Lilly,” she explains, putting them back in the bin carefully, “and it made me think of her.”

Logan leans over and kisses the top of her head. He’s the only one left who really understands Lilly, what she was like and what she meant to Veronica. 

She clears her throat, breaking the moment. “I’m really excited to move in with you, Logan.” If her voice is not exactly firm yet, he has the good grace to not mention it. “Wanna get some of these boxes loaded in your truck?”

He kisses her again and grabs the box of shoes. She knows her memories of Lilly will go with her no matter where she lives; but she’s still glad she’s keeping the shoes.


	12. Bowl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ficlet continues my little breakup story that started with “Shadow” in chapter 9.

Mac knocked on the door to the Mars’ apartment, holding a plastic grocery bag and feeling vaguely uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to filling the role of girlfriend, but she figured Wallace was even less equipped for the task and she knew Veronica needed someone. Veronica had been there for her last year in ways she had never expected so...here she was, bearing ice cream and sympathy. 

Veronica answered the door, clad in pajama pants and a look of surprise on her face. “Mac! Hey. I—”

“I know you weren’t expecting me but I got your text and,” she held up the grocery bag, “Moose Tracks?”

Veronica’s face morphed into a grateful smile. “You’re the best. Come on in.”

Mac had never been anyone’s “best” before. She had always been a bit of loner, content to hide out with a book in the library and blend in. Most of her friends in high school had been guys, fellow geeks, until she entered Veronica’s orbit. She felt warmth begin to spread in her chest from the simple praise as she sat down at the island in the kitchen. 

Veronica removed bowls from the cabinet but after glancing at the carton, she put them back and merely handed Mac a spoon, taking the lid off and digging in. 

“So...do you wanna talk about it?” Mac knew she wasn’t good at girl talk but that seemed like the sort of thing a girlfriend would ask. 

Veronica grimaced. Maybe it was a terrible thing to ask. 

“I saw him on the beach, earlier.” 

Mac was gratified that she was a decent enough girlfriend that didn’t have to ask who Veronica meant. 

Veronica went on. “He wants to be friends.” The word was full of scorn. 

“And you...don’t?”

“No, I do, it’s just...argh!” Veronica stuck another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. After swallowing, she tried to explain. 

“I do want to be Logan’s friend. God, I’ve known him since we were twelve and he’s the only one…” she trailed off and then cleared her throat. “Well, there are certain things that only Logan will ever understand about me and I don’t want to lose him from my life. But I don’t know how to just be his friend.”

She looked at Mac helplessly and Mac shrugged. “I wish I knew what to tell you, Veronica. The good news is, you and Logan have enough history that I think you can figure it out.”

Veronica took another bite and nodded slowly. “Yeah, I—thanks. Thanks for coming over, Mac, and cheering me up.”

Mac didn’t think Veronica seemed particularly cheery but she probably shouldn’t argue the point. “Anytime, Bond.”

“And thanks for the ice cream,” Veronica added. “You’re a good friend.”

Maybe not naturally, Mac thought. But I’m trying to be. 

It might not come easily to her, but having people in her life, having friends, was worth the effort of coming out of her safe corner of the library. 

She tossed her (unused) spoon in the sink and gave Veronica a quick hug. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Mac. I will.”


	13. Dead End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This continues the story I started in “Shadow,” and “Bowl.”

“So. I have a stakeout tonight. Just wondered if you wanted to join me. If you’re free, if course. Uh, let me know.”

Veronica’s message on his voicemail sounds awkward but it’s good to hear from her. He had let her know that the proverbial ball was in her court as far as their friendship was concerned and that she could reach out to him when she was ready. It was the first time he’d heard from her—aside from hellos in the food court—in a month. So awkward or not, he texts her back to get the details.

——

Veronica is quiet as she picks him up on campus and he hops in her SUV. 

He pats the door fondly as he buckles his seat belt. “I still maintain that this is a much nicer set of wheels than what you used to have.”

He knows that insulting the LeBarron is not his A game but it is well-worn footing and helps things feel more comfortable. 

She snorts. “I miss the convertible, but it turns out reliability is better than the wind in my hair,” she concedes. 

“So how are your classes?” Veronica asks with a small wince. It was barely noticeable but Logan found it reassuring that she wasn’t the only one struggling with acceptable topics of conversation within the new parameters of their relationship. 

“Good. Did I tell you I changed my major?”

Veronica glances at him as she drives. “No. What’d you pick?”

“English,” he answers quietly. 

But of all people, he shouldn’t have worried about Veronica’s reaction. 

“Logan, that’s perfect!” He’s surprised at her level of enthusiasm and it must show in his wide eyes because she tones things down a bit and adds, “I just think that really fits your strengths well. You’re a good writer and you’ve always been a closet bookworm.” 

She smirks at him but he can’t deny it, and her praise warms him. 

“Thanks,” he mumbles, ducking his dead. 

“How are you?” He asks after a moment of silence. 

“Good.” She doesn’t elaborate. 

He stares aimlessly out the window but after a few blocks he starts to notice their surroundings. 

“Veronica...where are we going?”

She pulls into a parking lot and kills the engine, gesturing across the street. 

“The Seventh Veil?”

She shrugs. “It’s actually a favor for Cliff.”

“He wants you to let him know when his favorite dancer arrives?”

The glare she turns on him would wilt lesser men but after all this time, he’s immune. 

“Personal injury suit. He thinks the client is faking.”

“Shocker.”

She bats away his accompanying hand gesture and they sit in silence for a while. 

After a while, Veronica grabs her book bag from backseat. “I’m gonna do my sociology reading. Did you bring homework?”

“Yeah.” He fishes ‘Moby Dick’ out of his backpack. It must be amusing because Veronica snorts. He raises a questioning eyebrow. 

“I was just imagining Dick’s response to great American Literature. He probably thinks it was written as an ode to him.”

“Trust me, you really don’t want to know what he’s said about it.”

“That’s the truth.”

They lapse into a companionable silence again, periodically glancing at the clientele entering the strip club and making fun of the patrons. Veronica makes up surprisingly hilarious backstories for the guys headed into the establishment and Logan finds himself laughing, way more comfortable with her than he expected. 

It is late into the night, close to 2 a.m., when Veronica finally stretches and sighs. “I guess this was a dead end tonight. I’m sorry to have wasted your time, but thanks for keeping me company.”

Logan stashes his book into his backpack. “It wasn’t a waste, Veronica. It was good to see you.”

Their eyes meet. Veronica gives him a small smile and starts the car. 

“Where do you want me to drop you off? Is your car on campus?” 

“You can just take me to The Grand. I’ll get a ride with Dick tomorrow morning.”

All too soon, she is pulling up to the hotel. “You know,” she cranes her neck to look up at the tall building, “you should really rent an apartment or something.”

“Funny you should mention that. I’ve actually decided to buy a house.”

Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Logan, that’s…”

“Responsible? Adult? Shocking?” He fills in the blank. 

“Yes!” She laughs. “But great. Tell me about it.”

“Well, I’m still in the process, actually. I’m supposed to meet with a realtor to look at some properties in the next few weeks. Would you, um, would you want to come with me?”

It must have been the wrong thing to ask because all the sudden the tension ratchets up between them. He can tell he freaked her out. 

“I mean, I just wanted a second opinion,” he rushes on, “but I can ask Dick or—”

She cuts him off. “God, no. It horrifies me to think of what he’d look for in a house.” She shudders. “I’m certainly not an expert, but I could go with you.”

“That’d be really nice, Veronica. Thanks. I’ll text you the details later. And thanks, thanks for calling me tonight. It was...fun.”

Logan is surprised, because it really had been fun. Mostly when he’d gone on stakeouts with her before, he just tried to make out with her. That had been fun, too, of course, but this type of hangout was what friends did and he was pleased they’d managed to check that box on the post-relationship-we’re-just-friends-now list of sanctioned activities. 

And if he constantly had to stop himself from thinking about those past kisses, well, that was probably normal, too. Veronica was the first girl that he had broken up with that he actually wanted to stay friends with and he was determined to make it work.


	14. Light Bulb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This continues the little season 3 story started in chapter 9 (Shadow) and continued in chapters 12 (Bowl) and 13 (Dead End.)

Veronica didn’t know how to explain to her friends or her dad that she was house hunting with Logan today...so she didn’t. She didn’t lie to them, not really; when they asked if she had plans she said she was “busy,” and when her dad asked where she was going she told him, “out with a friend.” Those answers were all technically true…. She didn’t want to think too much about why she felt the need to be vague—it just didn’t feel like something they’d understand (or condone) and she didn’t want to deal with their judgment. 

As she hopped in his Range Rover, she gave him a small smile and tried not to feel uncomfortable. Things hadn’t been awkward when he’d gone on a stakeout with her a few weeks ago—no need to feel weird now, either. 

“So,” she began, “I’ve never really been house shopping before. How does it work?”

Logan shrugged. “Pretty much like those HGTV shows, I think. We’re meeting my realtor at the first place, we’ll take a look around, see what we think.”

She gulped. It made sense that Logan would want company for this. It just felt like an intimate activity, not necessarily something you should be doing with your ex. She tried to smother her doubt, though, with her newly adopted mantra of “We’re just friends” and told herself that this was all perfectly normal. 

“So what did you tell the realtor you were looking for?”

“Um, beach access, privacy, and not a hideous mansion like I grew up in,” Logan listed. 

They pulled into the driveway of the first house and a woman in her forties (but striving to look younger) with a brunette bob and a power suit approached them as they exited the car. 

“Mr. Echolls?”

“Logan,” he corrected firmly. 

“I’m Gina Rowley.” She pumped his hand enthusiastically. Veronica could see Logan was trying not to wince. 

The realtor threw a questioning glance in Veronica’s direction and he explained, “My friend Veronica.”

She waved at the women who was already grabbing Logan by the arm and dragging him up the front walk, pointing out landscaping details that she knew he could care less about. 

Veronica, on the other hand, turned her experienced eye on the neighborhood. It wasn’t gated but it was secluded and quiet. She didn’t see any cars parked on the street or in driveways but that could be due to the time of day. If Logan liked the house, she could spend some time checking things out, make sure his privacy would really be respected here. 

She followed a few paces behind as they entered the grand foyer. Gina was extolling the virtues of the columns gracing the space while Logan was looking more and more uncomfortable. She could see his rich jackass mask slip into place as the realtor led him into the kitchen to show off the imported granite countertops and Veronica wondered where he even found this woman. 

She could hear him laugh—his sarcastic, mocking bray—and she rushed in before he could say something horrible to Gina. 

Gina was flipping a light switch and frowning at the sconces on the wall. “I guess the light bulbs are out...or maybe the wiring...we’d have an inspection done, of course,” she muttered. 

Veronica grabbed Logan’s hands—which violated their unspoken ‘no touching’ policy but desperate times—and said, “I need to talk to Logan in private. Give us a second?”

Gina nodded, still preoccupied by the malfunctioning lights, and Veronica pulled Logan into the living room. 

“Hey, it’s okay.” She squeezed his hands and locked her eyes on his. “If you don’t like this house, we don’t have to look at it. And if you’re not crazy about…” Veronica nodded her head in the direction of the kitchen, “I’m sure there are other realtors around.”

Logan took a deep breath. “Thanks. Thanks for doing this with me. You’re right, I hate this one. And Gina…” he trailed off. 

“Let me handle Gina.” She winked at him. 

“We’re done here.” Veronica was firm as she bustled into the kitchen. “Logan would like to see your next option.”

Gina was so surprised by her sudden assertiveness—which was what Veronica had expected—that she merely nodded. “If you’ll follow me…”

——-

They looked at six houses that day. The second one was Logan’s favorite but he wanted to make sure it wasn’t just a response to his dislike of the first one so they visited every property on Gina’s list. 

As Gina realized that Logan was looking for something a little less ostentatious than his last name suggested, she also became easier to work with, too. Which was good because Veronica figured it would be bad form to use her taser on a realtor. 

While she would perhaps never consider house hunting her idea of a fun time, she had enjoyed being with Logan. He could make her laugh like no one else and he was as adorable as a little kid when he got excited about something. 

“Do you think it’s the right one?” Logan asked her after they said goodbye to Gina. They were in his truck, returning to the Mars’ apartment. His eyes cut over from the road to her and she could tell he really did want her opinion. 

Veronica shrugged. “Logan, I’m not an expert when it comes to real estate, like if it’s a good deal or what you should offer or whatever. But yes, I think the second house we saw would be a good fit for you.”

She started ticking off items on her fingers. “One: it was right on the beach. Two: it wasn’t gated but had security. Three: the house was at the back of the neighborhood so lots of privacy. And four: it was awesome inside.”

“It really was!” Logan's enthusiasm lit up his face. “That media room and the outdoor entertaining area were perfect.”

She smiled at him. “I think you have your answer. I’m gonna check out the neighborhood more thoroughly tonight and make sure, but if there aren’t any red flags, get Gina to figure out all the real estate stuff and go for it.”

He pulled his car into the parking lot in front of her apartment. “Thanks, Veronica. You really went above and beyond as a friend today and—thanks.”

Logan leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, so quickly she could have imagined it if not for the spark she felt at his touch. She was sure she was blushing and she forced herself not to place her hand on her cheek where his lips had been. 

“Um, yeah. Anytime,” she stuttered, managing to exit the truck without tripping. 

If any part of her had forgotten about her attraction to Logan, it had all woken up with that kiss. A tiny kiss on the cheek shouldn’t have this kind of affect on her—and she knew it wouldn’t from any other friend. 

She repeated her mantra—just friends, just friends, just friends—a few more times in her head for good measure and hoped that the rest of her body would get the memo.


	15. Peak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m taking a break from my little “Just Friends” AU for a sneak peek from an Appendix story I’m working on. Fluffy, fluffy goodness!

Veronica opens the door to his knock, flustered and dusted with flour. Maneuvering the grocery bags, Logan places a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose and goes to set the bags down on the kitchen counter, only to find all available space is covered by various ingredients and pans. He had no idea that baking for Thanksgiving was this involved. He sets the bags in Keith’s arm chair and winks. 

“I got you a present.”

She looks up from a cookbook with a raised eyebrow. Even overwhelmed with cooking, he knows that Veronica can’t resist a gift. 

He removes an apron from one of the shopping bags with a flourish and shakes it out. It’s black with white letters that say “Kiss the Cook” and has a giant red lipstick print on it. It’s horribly tacky but Logan wags his eyebrows suggestively and is gratified when Veronica bursts out laughing and lets him tie it around her. 

He leaves his hands on her waist and proceeds to follow the apron’s instructions, very thoroughly. She tastes like flour, slightly, but it’s comforting and homey. 

When they finally pull apart, breathless, she confronts him. “True confession: how many stores did you have to go to in order to find this apron?” Her eyes twinkle mischievously at him and he melts a little inside. 

“It doesn’t matter.” He kisses the tip of her nose. “It was totally worth it. Now, how can I help?”

“Um, pumpkin pie is in the oven so lemon meringue is next. I made the crust already. You can get the eggs out?”

“Sure.”

He pulls the egg carton from the refrigerator and looks around. There’s no place to set the eggs. 

“Veronica, there’s tons of space in my kitchen. You know you could have done all this there, right?” 

He has to stop himself from cringing the moment the words leave his mouth. It’s a not-so-subtle attempt to once again show her the appeal of his house. He knows better than to push her to move in with him...but sometimes he just wants it so badly he loses sight of his long-term strategy. 

But she must want to avoid conflict today because she pretends like she doesn’t know what he’s doing—he’s pretty sure she always knows what he’s doing—and merely says, “Now where’s the fun in that?” 

She’s turned away, reading a red and white checkered cookbook and doesn’t look at him. He’s smart enough to let it go. 

He watches Veronica study the recipe. “Continue beating until mixture stands in stiff peaks,” she mutters. 

“Whoa.” Logan crosses the small space to read over her shoulder. “Does it really say that?”

She looks up at him, confused. “Yeah. That’s how you make the meringue. You—”

He cuts her off with his snickers. “That’s seriously the dirtiest cookbook ever!”

“Logan!” She’s indignant. “You beat the eggs—”

“Until there are stiff peaks?” He bursts into a fit of giggles again. 

Veronica rolls her eyes and smacks him playfully, muttering, “Child.”

She tries to turn back to the pie but Logan leans in behind her and nuzzles her neck, fingers wrapping around her waist. “I’m about to beg you to beat me until stiff peaks form,” he says in a suggestive voice, tickling her sides. 

She startles away from him when his fingers make contact with her stomach—he has known all her ticklish spots since they were twelve—and with a playful gleam in her eye yells, “Oh, it’s on!”

She jumps on him, wraps her legs around his waist and hugs him, digging her fingers into his armpits. 

Because unfortunately, she knows all his ticklish spots, too. 

He falls to his knees on the floor and then lies on his back, trying to fight her off—but really, he’s not trying that hard because Veronica is sitting on top of him, straddling his waist. He finally captures her hands and ends the tickle assault. 

“Yep.” He glances down at his crotch. “Stiff peak.”

Now Veronica collapses on top of him in a fit of giggles. 

He takes advantage of her moment of distraction to roll them so they are facing each other on their sides and he can suck on that spot on her neck that drives her crazy. 

Her giggles quickly turn to soft moans and he loves how much she’s into it when they fool around. God, she’s so hot. 

He slides his lips down her neck and moves his mouth over her breast and even through her layers of clothes and the apron, he can feel her nipples respond. 

He knows he shouldn’t say anything if he wants this to continue but he absolutely can’t resist. “Oh. More stiff peaks,” he says suggestively to her breasts. 

She rolls onto her back, laughing again and making Veronica laugh until she’s rolling on the floor is almost—almost—more fun than making her moan. 

He smirks as she catches her breath. “Betty Crocker was seriously pervy.”

She shrugs and gives him a lopsided smile conceding the point, then stands up and dusts herself off. There must have been flour on the floor because Logan can feel the fine grit of it on his fingertips. She pulls him up and he uses the flour as an excuse to brush off Veronica’s ass. 

“If all the pies are ruined, it’s gonna be your fault,” she threatens. 

Logan wants to say something flippant but he knows how much this means to her so he just holds his hands up in surrender and allows her to get back to work.


	16. Salt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of my Just Friends AU

Normally Veronica would have chosen the Hut over Starbucks for a coffee date—this is not a date, of course—but she had been craving a salted caramel mocha lately and Logan said she could pick. Starbucks wasn’t really her thing but that drink was delicious. 

She could actually see Logan in front of her but the line was long and she didn’t want anyone to think she was cutting so she didn’t say hi. She figured she could catch up with him in a second anyway. 

From her viewpoint in the long line behind him, she could clearly see the pretty barista flirting with him. The tall brunette was flushed and her eyes were sparkling as she tossed her ponytail in Logan’s direction and chatted with him as she made his drink. 

Logan was leaning casually against the counter turned towards the girl with his feet crossed at the ankles, showcasing the long, lithe lines of his body and Veronica had to force herself not to remember what he looked like naked. 

The barista was giggling now and writing his name on the white cup with a Sharpie. She leaned across the counter, green apron straining across her breasts, and grabbed Logan’s hand. Veronica could see how the girl caressed his palm as she scribbled something with her Sharpie on the back of his hand. He didn’t pull away and from the curve of his head, Veronica could tell he wasn’t shooting her down. 

She quickly stepped behind the burly man in front of her so that Logan couldn’t see her if he turned around. She felt rage burn through her veins and her stomach was churning. The hands that she pressed to her flushed cheeks were shaking. She had to get out of there. 

She peeked around the flannel shirt blocking Logan from her view. He was still leaning into the barista, chatting with her while she made another drink. She turned and fled. 

Once she was safely back in her car, she sent Logan a quick text apologizing for canceling at the last minute because she had a paper to finish. So much for being more open with her friends. 

She felt the telltale prick of tears behind her eyes and her phone screen started to blur. She threw the car into drive and pealed out of the parking lot, trying to outrun her feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll be the first to admit, I kinda cheated with the prompt today.


	17. Enchant(ed)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Just Friends installment. I played fast and loose with the prompt again.

“Enchanted? Really?” Mac asks. 

Veronica shrugs. “I wanted something that wasn’t, you know, fraught with sexual tension. And he said yes to it.”

“I just can’t picture Logan Echolls willingly watching a princess movie.” Mac’s forehead is creased as she attempts this Herculean feat. 

“You’d be surprised.”

“So...will it be weird to see a movie with your ex-boyfriend?” 

“Nope. We’re just friends. We’ve been hanging out casually for a few months now. No big deal.”

Mac doesn’t say anything, just raises her eyebrows in a way Veronica doesn’t like. 

“Thanks for letting me crash here between classes, Mac. I’ll see you later!” 

Veronica is out the door before Mac can say anything else. 

——-

Veronica had debated about meeting Logan at the movie theater—because it’s not a date, they are just friends, she repeats her mantra—but in the end she lets him pick her up because it was more convenient. Boundaries are important, sure, but they can act like adults. 

While she would never admit it to anyone, she also debated about what to wear. It wasn’t a date, of course, so the Hearst hoodie she’d had on earlier should have been fine. But she might have gotten ketchup on her sleeve in the food court…. She ends up wearing a tiny “My Little Pony” t-shirt she found at the thrift store (it is a kids movie, after all) and her cargo jacket. If she takes her hair out of the messy ponytail she had worn earlier and fluffs it into something cute, well, that’s only because it’s uncomfortable to sit in a movie theater seat with a ponytail hitting the headrest. 

She scribbles a note to her dad and lets herself out, locking the door behind her when she sees Logan pull into the parking lot. 

“So, Enchanted, huh?” He teases as she gets in the car. 

“Yep. Looks like fun. I bet Amy Adams is your type of girl.”

He huffs. “Nope, she’s a redhead. I like blonds.” He rushes on, “I think you just have a crush on Patrick Dempsey.”

“Dr. McDreamy? Absolutely.” She wags her eyebrows at him and Logan rolls his eyes. 

At the theater, Veronica gets in line first so that she can buy her own ticket—seeing as this is decidedly not a date. She lets Logan buy popcorn to share, though, mostly because she really likes popcorn and she knows he will get it with extra butter for her. 

They find two seats together in the theater and have fun acing the movie trivia and making fun of the previews. 

The movie is cute and funny, just what she wanted, and she bumps Logan’s shoulder as they walk out. 

He looks over at her in surprise. 

“Most people would have thought this was an odd pick,” she explains. “Thanks for coming with me.”

She can see affection in Logan’s brown eyes. “I was glad you called. It was fun.”

He unlocks his Range Rover but doesn’t open the door for her. Because it’s not a date. 

After starting the car, Logan looks down, uncertain for a second. “I kinda thought you were avoiding me for a while there.”

“Oh! I, um, no. Why would you think that?”

“Well, we were gonna meet for coffee and you bailed,—”

“Homework,” she tries to interject, but Logan’s still talking. 

“And you haven’t stopped by my new house yet, either.”

Veronica takes a deep breath. “I was trying to put a little distance between us,” she finally admits, hesitantly. 

Logan is silent, stunned, probably because she actually told him the truth. 

“Look, you’re one of my best friends so I’m working on being more open with you.” She is visibly uncomfortable. “I just needed to work through some stuff. It’s fine now.” She shrugs, indicating it’s in the past and doesn’t matter. 

Logan must know better than to ask what she was working through because he lets it go. There’s no way she can tell him that she was struggling with her feelings for him. Because this is not a date and they are just friends. 

“Well, you should come over sometime soon and see what I’ve done with the place,” he offers casually. 

“I’d like that.”

They are back at her apartment now. With a mumbled, “Thanks,” and a wave, she hops out and lets herself in quickly, knowing that she will spend the next several hours lying in bed, trying to ban thoughts of Logan from her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just Friends will return on October 23!


	18. Rotten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little continuation of the scene in chapter 2, “Closed.”

“I need a shower,” Veronica grumbles as she unlocks their apartment and kicks off her shoes. “Why did I let you talk me into that? Ugh, the sand!”

Logan raises his eyebrows at her. “Bobcat, I really didn’t have to twist your arm. I think you were almost as anxious as I was. But I could use a shower, too. I’d be happy to join you, wash your hard-to-reach places.” He leers suggestively. 

“Won’t that take twice as long?” Her fake-innocent act doesn’t fool him. 

“Veronica, I’ve been taking two minute showers for the past four months. I think I’m entitled to the longest, hottest Hollywood shower I want. And I want you to join me.”

As she stalks to the bathroom he can hear her grumbling about sand again but she’s stripping off her clothes and not saying no...

The bathroom is wreathed in steam. He can see the fuzzy outline of Veronica through the frosted glass shower door. The bathroom in their apartment is not exactly roomy—better than navy showers, of course—but the shower probably wasn’t built with two people in mind. Not like that sort of thing has ever held him back. 

He knocks on the door and she slides it open. 

“Coming?” She winks and, dear god, he loves this woman so much. 

“I hope so,” he says as he steps in the shower. 

He lets Veronica rinse the sand out of her hair before turning his attention to making sure her breasts are very, very clean. 

“Logan,” she finally pants, “we’re going to run out of hot water. Wanna take this outside?”

He quickly rinses himself off—still better than a navy shower—and hops out, wrapping a towel around Veronica and sitting her on the counter. Logan tangles one hand in her wet hair, kissing her deeply, while his other hand spreads her thighs wide so that he can push inside. 

“Oh, god.” He moves his lips to her neck as he thrusts inside her. She is gripping his shoulders for leverage, rubbing against him with every thrust. Her moans become louder and he knows she’s close. 

She throws her head back as her muscles clench around him and he comes with her, reveling in being home again. 

After his racing heart calms, he picks her up and carries her to the bed, crawling under the covers and nestling her head against his shoulder. 

“Mmm. I’ve missed you. Missed that.” Veronica mumbles into his chest. 

“Me, too.” He absently runs his fingers through her hair. 

She sits up and meets his eyes. “I really am sorry about our reservations at the bed and breakfast. If you want, we can go stay at a nice hotel somewhere, with dual shower heads and endless hot water.”

“Nah.” Logan runs his hand up and down her spine and she relaxes on top of his chest once again. “I think a little staycation here sounds nice.”

“We could go get Pony, if you want. My dad is probably spoiling her rotten.” Veronica offers. 

“I’m not sure that I want to see anything but you and the four walls of our bedroom for a few days.”

Veronica kisses his chest in approval. 

“Well, and maybe delivery boys,” he amends. “But selfishly, I just want you. It doesn’t matter where.”

“Ooh, delivery!” Veronica’s eyes light up. “I’m starving. Then, yes, you can have me many more times tonight.”

She winks at him and he’s hard again. He captures her mouth in a kiss, only to be interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling. 

Logan laughs. “I’m sorry, Bobcat. I should know better. Food first.” 

Veronica huffs, indignant. “You say that like we haven’t already had sex twice before eating!”

He kisses the tip of her nose. “I’ll try to keep my priorities straight in the future.”

“That’s better.” She pulls him to her for another drugging kiss before pushing him away. “Go find some food if you want to have sex again,” she teases. 

Logan hops out of bed and pulls on some sweatpants. “Yes, ma’am!” 

Highly motivated now, he finds the takeout menus and his phone, tossing them both to Veronica, and settles in to enjoy four uninterrupted days with his favorite person.


	19. Can’t Do This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started another, totally separate, little AU story here. It will continue tomorrow!

“Dad, I'm just really worried that I can't do this.” Veronica struggles to keep the tears from spilling onto her cheeks but she knows her dad can hear them in her voice. She is on a walk around the small pond in her apartment complex and she doesn't want anyone to see her cry. 

“Honey, it's okay. You can always--”

She cuts him off. “No, Dad. Becoming an FBI field agent is the only thing I've ever wanted.”

“Well, then. You've always been able to accomplish anything you put your mind to before. You can do this, too. Valedictorian, Summa Cum Laude at Stanford, and now the FBI. 

She sighs. His pep talk is pretty lame but knowing that he still has faith in her, even if he is 3,000 miles away, helps anchor her. 

“Thanks, Dad. It's just, field agent training is way different than the FBI internships I did in the past or even officer training at home with you.”

Her dad pauses, obviously unsure of what to say. 

“Whatever it is, Dad, you can go ahead and tell me.”

“You know I'd rather have you behind a desk, Veronica.” He cuts off her protests. “But it's your choice and if you're going to be a Special Agent with the FBI, I want you to be absolutely prepared. I want you in the best shape possible to keep you safe. If you're going to do this--”

“I am,” she practically growls. 

“Then be extra prepared. Go train with the fastest, strongest male candidate, Veronica. Prove to them you absolutely can do it.”

Veronica gulps. “I don't want the other candidates to see any weaknesses, Dad. Especially not the men. It's bad enough…” she trails off, not wanting her dad to know how his petite, blond daughter is harassed. 

“Go to a gym, then. Get a personal trainer. You can come out of nowhere and surprise them all.” 

He starts humming the ‘Rocky’ theme music and she laughs. 

“Thanks, Dad. That's actually pretty good advice.”

“Don't sound so surprised!”

“I mean, I already don't have time to sleep, so why not add more?”

“That's the spirit, kid.”

“Thanks, Dad. Really, I--”

He cuts her off before she can tell him how much she misses him. “I know. Call again soon. I love you, Veronica.”

“Love you, too, Dad.”

After she hangs up with her dad, she settles onto a bench outside her apartment. She immediately looks up gyms in the area on her phone, making a mental list of what she wants. 

She needs a personal trainer who is okay with weird hours, familiar with the FBI field agent requirements, and preferably a female. Someone who will be a good running buddy and encourage her to keep going. 

She picks the gym closest to her place; she knows it's nice because she drives by it on the way to work and she fills out the request form for a trainer on her phone. A few seconds later she receives an email confirming her appointment at 10 pm with a trainer named Jackie. 

She lets herself relax on the bench for another second, feeling content now that she's doing something, taking care of her problem. She had given in to her doubts on the phone with her dad, but she’s banished them. 

She's Veronica Mars. “I can't do this,” isn't allowed to be part of her vocabulary anymore.


	20. Trainer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This continues the story I started yesterday in chapter 19, “Can’t Do This.”

Veronica arrives early, as instructed via email, to her personal training appointment so that she can officially join the gym and get her membership card and take the (required) tour. 

She sighs. She hopes Jackie, the trainer, understands what she is looking for. She can't afford to waste her time. She knows she's in decent shape already from her police officer training...but she's been behind a desk for too long learning the procedures and she will be the first to admit her eating habits can't be characterized as ‘healthy.’

After getting all the gym formalities out of the way--and marveling over the sauna she will never use--her tour wraps up back at the front desk. 

She looked up Jackie over lunch today so she's expecting a pretty African-American woman with curly hair. 

What she does not expect is the Adonis of a man standing there instead. 

He's about her age, tall, with brown hair and twinkling brown eyes, and the sleeveless t-shirt he is wearing shows off arm muscles that are practically as big as her head. She gulps at the sudden--and unexpected, because it's been so long she'd practically forgotten about sex--flare of arousal she feels. 

She works with plenty of handsome men and sees nice arm muscles all the time. This one’s not anything special, she tells herself. He's on steroids, probably, she thinks unkindly. 

“Are you Veronica?” He holds out his hand. “Hi, I'm Logan. I'm your personal trainer.”

She shakes his outstretched hand and tries not to notice his charming smile. “Um, it's nice to meet you, Logan, but I signed up with Jackie.”

“Jackie had a family emergency and had to leave for New York. She's handing off all her clients for a while.”

“But…” Veronica doesn't know how to say that she really wanted a female trainer, that she most definitely does not want to get all sweaty with this hot man. Her libido shoots off fireworks again at the word ‘sweaty’ and she has a flash where she imagines watching sweat roll down his abs while he's naked, on top of her, and this is exactly the problem. 

“If you need evening availability and FBI prep training, I'm really the only other person who can help you. All the trainers are good,” he gestures around, “but I'm the best.” His charming smile morphs into a cocky smirk. 

Ah, a jackass. She deals with this type all day long. She was hoping for a break from that during her workout time but at least she doesn't have to worry about anything developing between them. 

“Fine,” she snaps. “Let's go.”

\------

At the end of her workout, she can't remember why she ever thought anything about Logan was attractive. He's the biggest prick she's ever met, and that's saying something. 

\------

“Oh, no.” She shoves the pamphlets on healthy eating back into his hands. “You can tell me what to do every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 to 11 pm. But you cannot tell me what I'm allowed to eat,” she growls at him a week later. 

“Fine, fine. You were the one who wanted results.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Let's work on sit ups first.”

He holds her feet in place and every time she lifts her torso to see his face--how had she ever thought he was handsome?--he taunts her. 

“C’mon, Mars, you can do more than that. Weenie junior high boys in gym class can do more. Keep going.”

God, she hates him. 

\------

“Tonight its running, Mars, so get on the treadmill.” He continues to talk as he punches in the preset buttons, first on her machine and then his. 

“You need to build up your endurance enough so that you can carry on a conversation while you run.”

She nods. 

He reached over and increases her incline. “No nodding. I'm gonna ask you questions and you have to answer out loud.”

She groans internally. Why did she sign up for a personal trainer again? She totally should have found a different gym when the first trainer that she wanted wasn't available. 

“Fine!” she barks out and smacks his hand away before he can touch the incline arrow again. 

“Why do you want to be an FBI agent?”

She rolls her eyes. She's not a big fan of prying questions but she should have known he'd go with the traditional inquiries.

“Real original. Because I like investigating.”

Her feet pound the treadmill in sync with his for a moment. 

“My turn. Why did you decide to become a personal trainer?”

He glances over at her, surprised. “That's not how it works. I ask the questions.”

Veronica points to herself. “FBI, remember? We like questions. That's the only way I'll play.”

“Okay,” Logan concedes. “It was kind of a temporary thing after college, but then I got certified and found that I liked it.”

“And the crazy hours?”

“Uh-uh. That's two questions in a row. My turn. Did you grow up in D.C.?”

She snorts to cover how hard it is to keep talking while running. “Does anyone?” She pants. 

“Uh-uh. That’s not an answer.” He reaches over and increases her intensity level. Now she really can’t talk. 

“Five more minutes at this pace, then you can cool down.”

She immediately regrets it, but she sticks her tongue out at him and increases her intensity even further. Smart she may be, but stubborn is one of her defining characteristics. 

He just laughs at her—not even a little out of breath. He’s seriously the worst.


	21. Superstition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This continues my little FBI AU from chapters 19 “Can’t Do This” and 20 “Trainer” :)

The next day she meets with Logan, it’s for weight training. Veronica doesn’t want to look like a female bodybuilder but she knows she needs to be strong enough to defend herself and overpower any possible opponents. 

She’s had a fairly terrible day so far—Friday the 13th is living up to its reputation. She’s not one for superstition but she spilled coffee on her favorite blouse on her way to work this morning, her boss yelled at her for something that wasn’t her fault, and now she has to meet with the Trainer From Hell instead of her normal Friday night activity (which is curl up on her couch and watch TV or read.) 

She tries to be brisk with him, businesslike, to counteract the flips taking place in her belly every time she sees his muscles flex. Maybe she can channel her frustrations—both sexual and from her day—and turn them into more strength for weight lifting tonight. 

He’s leaning over her, spotting her bench pressing efforts, and she absolutely refuses to let herself think about what it would feel like to have him on top of her. She squeezes her eyes shut to block out the image. 

Maybe he can sense she’s distracted because he asks, “So, you never did tell me where you grew up.”

“California,” she grunts as she lifts the weight bar. 

“No way. Me, too.”

“What part?” She’s totally panting but she’s still talking and pushing her arms to keep going. She desperately hopes that Logan is keeping count of her reps. 

“SoCal. LA, then a little beach town in the San Diego area. But my mom and I moved to New York when I was in high school.”

She nods because she can’t form a response anymore. 

“What about you, Mars? Where did you grow up?” 

But all she can do is grunt as she lifts the bar back up and tries to put it away. 

“Uh-uh,” He scolds her. “You’re not done yet.”

He’s the worst. Maybe a black cat can cross her path on the way home and just round out this awful day. 

 

——-

She doesn’t have a training session with Logan on Sunday but she has a small pocket of free time in the afternoon and decides to go for a quick run. She’s all set to run outside but then it starts raining so she ends up on the treadmill at the gym. 

She’s so surprised when Logan steps onto the treadmill next to her that she almost falls off her own. She has in her earbuds, though, so she just waves and tries to play it cool. 

The whole time she’s running, trying to get in the zone, she can’t seem to stop her thoughts from drifting to the man next to her. His legs are lean and toned, on display thanks to his little running shorts. 

She glances over at him again—glistening with sweat, she wants to put her tongue in the hollow of his collarbone where it’s pooled and see what he tastes like—and she stumbles a little with the thought, arousal throbbing through her. She decreases her speed to cover it and hopes that her libido will cool down, too. 

“Are you okay?” Logan takes out his earbuds and gestures at her. 

She reads his lips and nods. 

“Wanna have a little contest?” He asks, and then repeats his question once she removes her headphones. “See who can go the longest?”

Woah, was that innuendo? Or is she just terribly fixated on sex in this man’s presence?

“Um, you’re a personal trainer. I think the odds are slightly in your favor,” she replies. But her competitive nature chafes at letting a challenge go unanswered, so she adds, “Plus I started before you.”

He laughs. “Okay, I’ll spot you some time. Let’s just see if you can go five more minutes.”

That’s what he says, goading her on, for the next twenty minutes. He keeps smirking and picking up his pace. God, he’s a jerk. 

She really hates running. She hates the man next to her. She’s not paying him right now, so does this constitute harassment? Abuse, maybe? She definitely hates the FBI and its Special Agent requirements right about now. 

Finally, right when she thinks her legs are going to collapse underneath her, Logan huffs and slows down his machine. 

“Probably time for a cool down,” he says, and she’s gratified to hear that he’s panting slightly. 

It will probably take her another hour before she’s breathing normally but at least she didn’t give up first. 

“Wanna join me for a smoothie in the cafe?” He asks as they both step off their treadmills. He hands her a towel from the bin—she knows she’s way past the ‘sexy’ stage of sweaty—and she scoffs.

“A smoothie? I don’t think so.” Her nose wrinkles in disgust. 

“Right, I forgot about your aversion to health food. We could make it a coffee at the shop around the corner?”

“Much more my style.” She glances down at her workout gear. “I’m pretty gross, though.”

He shrugs. “No one cares.”

“Okay. Meet you at the front desk in five.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will continue tomorrow!


	22. Leverage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This continues the story I started with “Can’t Do This,” “Trainer,” and “Superstition.”

Veronica is surprised with herself that she said yes. It’s not like a date; she’s just grabbing coffee with an acquaintance. He probably only wants to talk about workout stuff, anyway. 

She had broken up with her college boyfriend, Troy, when she moved to D.C. permanently and while she’d had many offers, she had neither the desire or time to date anyone. It had been a while since she’s been on a date, let alone had sex, and she feels awkward. 

She follows him to the coffee shop and as she drives she worries about what she will say, what they will talk about, but she pleased to find out that she feels comfortable with Logan. He’s easy to talk to. 

They find out that they are both from the same part of California; her hometown of Pan is about 45 minutes from where he grew up in Neptune. Their high schools were rivals but they didn’t actually have any mutual friends. They have more in common than Veronica would have guessed—their parents are both divorced, they both miss California, and they are both totally hooked on ‘Leverage’ and ‘Bones.’

“So you said your mom moved you to New York when you were in high school?” she asks. 

“Yeah, when my parents split. My dad got remarried almost immediately to an actress who’s practically my age and my mom started doing plays in New York. She’s great at it.” His face lights up as he tells her about his mom. “She’s way better off now. I miss California but I’m glad we moved.”

“So how’d you end up in D.C.?”

“Would you believe I followed a friend?”

“I’d believe you followed a girl.”

He laughs at this and admits, “The girl was in New York. Her brother is in D.C.”

At her quizzical look, he elaborates. “My best friend, Duncan, he moved to D.C. to go to Georgetown and get into politics. I followed him here. He’s my roommate. His sister, Lilly, she went to Vassar and we dated off and on, both in high school and college. She’s still in New York, in fashion design. Duncan and I, we try to visit her a lot. They’re good friends, they got me through all the shit with my parents.”

He plays with the cardboard wrap around his coffee cup while Veronica wonders what that meant, that he was still so close with his ex-girlfriend. 

His head snaps up suddenly. “I’m not dating her now. I should have said that. We dated off and on for a long time before deciding that we were better off as friends. Permanently.”

She can feel herself blushing. This wasn’t a date—but it kinda felt like one. 

“Oh,” she says faintly, surprised that he picked up on her thoughts. “So what does your friend Duncan do?”

“He’s clerking for a representative from California. He’s insanely busy but I’m still glad I moved here. Duncan and Lilly—they’re like family.”

Veronica experiences a bolt of envy. It’s just been her and her dad for such a long time. She has Mac and Wallace, her closest friends from high school who got her through her hard times, but they are on the other side of the country. 

Maybe that’s why she’s having coffee with this man, because the California connection reminds her of home. 

Or maybe it’s the way his legs look in running shorts. Either way, it’s been nice to relax and chat with a friend. 

She glances at her watch, surprised to learn that they’ve been talking for two hours. “Oh, gosh, it’s later than I realized! I should really be getting home.”

“Veronica,” Logan is suddenly bashful, “could I call you sometime?”

It takes a moment to dawn on her. He’s asking to call her, to see her again, like, a date. Her stomach flutters at the idea but she shakes her head. 

His face falls and she puts her hand over his gently. “I’d love to go out with you, Logan. But I don’t think I can date my trainer. Not because you’re a trainer,” she adds in a rush when he looks offended, “but because I wouldn’t want to hate my boyfriend for telling me to do more sit ups.”

“You hate me, huh?” He is rueful. 

She smirks. “Not as much as I did at first. But once I pass the Special Agent PFT, I won’t really need a trainer anymore. So maybe if you’re still interested then…” she trails off. 

His mouth turns up in an adorable lopsided smile and her stomach resumes its flips. 

“Do you think we could hang out again...just as friends...until then?” He is hesitant. 

She gives him a teasing smile. “Will you take it easy on me at the gym?”

“Absolutely not.” He grins and it’s even better than the lopsided smile, which she didn’t think was possible. 

“Give me a friends and family discount?”

“Hmm. It’s a possibility.”

“Then, yes. I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More to come of this one on October 24 :)


	23. Flicker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the conclusion to the “Just Friends” story. Chapters 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, and now 23 are all connected in this same AU fic.

“Welcome to Casa Logan!” He says with a flourish as he opens the door. 

Veronica had seen the house previously, in daylight and she can’t tell in the evening light but she assumes the outside isn't vastly different from the way it looked before Logan bought it. His childlike enthusiasm is contagious, though, and she can’t help but smile back at his beaming grin. 

She steps inside and looks around at the foyer. “I like what you’ve done with the place, Echolls.”

Logan had hired a paint crew and now the interior of his sprawling ranch was a cool grey. The color coordinated went well with his dark hardwood floors and white molding and Veronica wondered if he picked it out himself. 

He had outfitted the living room with a large leather sectional sofa and colorful throw pillows. It was a spacious room but felt welcoming. There was a wall of windows that Logan assures her looks out into the ocean but because it’s dark outside she will have to take his word for it. 

“So the kitchen is mostly the same,” he explains, “and the office isn’t really done yet. Wanna see the bedrooms?”

This makes Veronica slightly uncomfortable but she knows Logan is excited about his house so she shrugs and says, “Sure.”

His ranch has three bedrooms upstairs and Logan has set up two of them as guest rooms. They are both comfortable and homey, decorated tastefully and Veronica appreciates Logan’s offer that she could stay anytime she wanted. (Unlikely but sweet.)

Logan’s master bedroom is at the end of the hall, and as she glances around quickly she tries not to think about what would be happening if she were visiting his bedroom under different circumstances. Or why. Or how comfortable his bed might be. 

He maybe senses her discomfort because after standing awkwardly for a beat, he says, “Can I show you the media room?”

“Your pride and joy? Of course!” Veronica remembered how Logan had fallen in love with the basement when she had been house hunting with him. It was part of the reason she had thought that this place would be perfect for him. 

She follows him downstairs and marvels appropriately at his large TV and video game system. He is practically vibrating with excitement and Veronica lets him convince her to have a movie night here with him soon. 

Logan shows her around the rest of the spacious basement. “I think I’m gonna do a workout room over there,” he gestures, “and maybe a sweet poker table set up in here.”

Veronica has a flash where she remembers making out with him on top of the poker table in his family’s pool house. She gulps and repeats her mantra—just friends, just friends, just friends. 

“Hey, let me show you the outdoor stuff.” Logan heads up the stairs and Veronica follows. 

She is about halfway up the stairs when the lights flicker and then go out. They are plunged into utter blackness and Veronica halts, instinctively reaching out and grabbing the back of Logan’s shirt. 

“Veronica, you okay?” He asks. 

“Yeah, you?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna try to get upstairs. Can you follow?” She can feel his hand scrabbling for hers and she quickly grasps his long fingers, squeezing for comfort. She can’t see anything but slowly they make it safely up the stairs. 

The basement stairs lead back up to the living room but even with its windows, the darkness outside has made the room inky black. 

“I think maybe I have a flashlight in my bag,” she offers. 

“I don’t remember unpacking a flashlight,” Logan admits, “but I do think there’s a candle nearby.”

Still clutching his hand tightly, they shuffle over to an end table. Veronica hears Logan open a drawer and rustle around, then the snick of a match is accompanied by a tiny flame. He lights a decorative candle on the table and, while it’s not bright, it does help. They move to sit on the couch, close to each other and the small flickering candle. 

Veronica snorts a laugh. “You have decorative candles?”

“They are scented.” Instead of embarrassed like she expected, he’s smug, proud. “I happen to like the smell of fresh linen.”

“Do you do laundry, too, now?” She taunts. 

“No, I just light the candle.”

Veronica giggles again and relaxes into the moment. When she can forget that she wants to make out with him—just friends, just friends, just friends—hanging out with Logan really is a blast. 

“Do you think that I should check the fuse box or something?” He asks. 

“Well, it’s hard to tell because you’re pretty secluded, but I don’t see any lights on the beach or outside,” she stands up to peer out the window, “so it’s probably the whole area and not just you.”

“Good, because I don’t actually know where the fuse box is,” Logan confesses. “That’s just what people say.” 

“It’s probably in the garage or the basement,” she tells him, kindly. “So…”

“Yeah. I’m stuck here, I can’t get my car out of the garage, but you don’t have to stay.”

She doesn’t want to break the spell of the good moment they were having, though, so she quickly replies, “Oh, no, I wouldn’t leave you here without power. You could come home with me, but there’s no guarantee I have power, either. I—I could stay a little longer, if you want.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

——-

Logan finds a deck of cards in the drawer with the matches so they play gin by candlelight. They are both sitting cross-legged on the floor and Veronica scoots closer to Logan so that their knees are touching. To be able to see better, of course. 

“Gin.” She lays her cards out in the diamond space between their legs. “So that makes it...108 to 73.” She clears her throat. “Logan, it’s getting late. You can’t sleep here tonight without power. Come home with me.”

“You said yourself earlier, you might not have power, either.”

“We could go crash at Hearst?” She offers. 

“Just stay a little longer, Veronica. Maybe it will come back on.”

She starts dealing another hand as her answer. 

“You know, we could make this a little more interesting…” Logan offers. “Wanna play strip gin?”

Veronica snorts. “Nope. Pretty sure friends don’t do that.” Just friends, just friends, just friends. She’s practically yelling it inside her head. Thankfully it’s dark so there’s no way Logan could see the blush that’s gotta be spreading across her face. 

“Do you want to be just friends, Veronica?” His voice is husky and once she lets her eyes lock on his, she can’t look away. She can tell enough, even in the dark, to know that he is being serious. She gulps. 

“Logan, you were the one who broke up with me.” Her voice sounds hollow and far away to her ears. “I don’t—”

He interrupts her. “I broke up with you because you didn’t need me and you weren’t willing to be open with me. I was worried that I was totally in love with you and you couldn’t be bothered.” He glances down, not willing to meet her eyes anymore. 

“And nothing’s changed.” Her voice is harsh now. 

“Nope.” He pops the P on the end of the word, he must remember how much it annoys her. “I guess not.”

Veronica jumps up, stumbling to the front door in the dimly lit room but Logan puts his hand on her arm and stills her, halting her flight. He sighs. 

“I shouldn’t have said that, because here’s the thing, Veronica.” His voice is soft now, quiet, and it cuts straight to her heart. “You have been more open lately. More willing to reach out. Is that because we work better when we’re just friends?”

She turns to him in the foyer now, with her back against the front door and lets her bag that she had grabbed slide out of her hands. 

She speaks slowly, thoughtfully. “In some ways, Logan, yes, it is easier to just be your friend.” Even in the darkness she can see the light dim in his eyes. 

She grabs his hand, with a “Come sit,” and pulls him over to the couch, facing him on the sectional near the candle. She doesn’t let go of his fingers and doesn’t try to justify it to herself. 

She takes a deep breath. “It’s easier to be your friend because I don’t have to worry about falling in love with you. But it’s hard to be your friend…”

Logan tucks a strand of hair behind her hair and the familiar gesture makes her feel safe, safer than she’s been in months. 

After clearing her throat, she tries to explain. “It’s hard to be your friend because I’m attracted to you. I don’t want to date other people, and I can’t stand the idea of you with anyone else.

“I actually saw you at the coffee shop that day,” she confesses. “But you were flirting with someone else and I called you and lied and said I had too much homework because I couldn’t deal. That was when I knew I wasn’t getting over you any time soon.”

She finally looks up at him in time to see his face morph from shock to determination. Logan reaches out and cradles her face before his lips meet hers, stealing her breath away. Her fingers tangle in his hair, keeping his mouth against hers as the kiss deepens. 

“Veronica,” he breathes, finally breaking away, “I don’t want to be with anyone else. I don’t want to just be your friend anymore. I want you.”

“Oh, thank God!” She kisses him again, urgently. “I don’t want to just be friends, either.” His lips slide to that spot on her neck that drives her crazy. “I missed you, Logan.”

“I was here the whole time,” he teases her. 

She gives him a playful punch on the shoulder. “You know what I mean.”

His brown eyes lock on hers and she gets lost in his intensity for a second. “I do know, Veronica.” 

He gives her a quick kiss but then pulls away to sit next to her. “Can we do better this time? Trust each other? Tell the truth? Rely on each other?”

She nods. “I can’t promise that I will do it perfectly, but I’m willing to try if you are.”

“I don’t want perfection, Veronica. I want you.”

He kisses her again, a long, deep, drugging kiss full of emotion that makes Veronica want to ask to see his bedroom again. Heat is building in her core as she climbs onto his lap, straddling him, and his fingers start to creep up under the hem of her t-shirt. 

Logan pulls away with a gasp. “In the spirit of honestly, that girl I was talking to in the coffee shop? Did you see her give me her number?”

Veronica looks down at her lap and nods. 

He sighs. “She gave me her number because she’s in my English study group. I really wasn’t trying to flirt with her.” He places a sweet kiss on the tip of her nose. 

“I’m sorry, Logan. Thanks for being honest. I’m going to work on trusting you and asking questions instead of running. It doesn’t come easy to me...but you’re worth it.”

She twines her arms around his neck and puts all she’s feeling into this kiss—regret for past mistakes, gratefulness to have him back, not to mention sheer lust at kissing him again. 

Veronica pulls away with a small laugh. “Maybe it’s not a bad thing she tried to flirt with you, though. It helped me realize that I wasn’t getting over you. 

“Tell the truth.” She is coy. “Did you mastermind this whole blackout so we could spend time together?”

“Moi? You’re more the mastermind, Bobcat, not me. Speaking of…”

He puts his finger on his chin and pretends to think. “What could we do, alone here in the dark, with no electricity, to celebrate our new relationship status?”

“Hmm. I didn’t get a good look at your bedroom earlier. Show it to me again.” She gives him an encouraging wink and Logan quickly scoops her up in a fireman’s carry, stumbling through the dark house with her over his shoulder, whooping his enthusiasm as Veronica laughs with delight. 

“I knew we could figure out something.”


	24. Bookmark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More from the FBI Training universe today :) This continues what I started in chapters 19-22.

“Thanks for inviting me over,” Veronica says as Logan answers the door to his uptown loft apartment. 

“I’m glad you could make it. Lilly will be thrilled to have another girl to hang out with tonight. She’s always complaining that there’s too much testosterone. Come on in and meet them.” He opens the door wide and she steps inside. 

Veronica gulps at the sight of Logan in a tight grey Henley and jeans. She thought his workout clothes were sexy but the soft shirt clinging to his sculpted chest is a whole new level of hotness. 

She tries to keep her mouth from gaping open as she gazes around Logan’s apartment. Even with a roommate, she knows that the hardwood floors, exposed brick, skylights, amazing views of D.C., and sheer square footage can’t be cheap. Maybe personal training is more lucrative than she realized. 

“Veronica,” Logan is saying, “this is Duncan and Lilly.” 

Duncan, an average looking guy with blue eyes and short brown hair, wanders over from the kitchen and waves at her. He’s wearing a casual blue striped button-down and jeans. Lilly, the green-eyed blond next to him in heels and black skinny jeans, closes the space between her and Veronica and throws her arms around her exuberantly. 

She’s sure her face must register her surprise at being hugged by a totally stranger because she can see Logan chuckling at her. 

“Oh my gosh, it’s awesome to meet you!” Lilly gushes. “These guys never brings home anyone interesting for me to play with but you’re an FBI agent! I want to hear all about it!”

“Um.” Veronica is not sure how to handle all the energy crammed into this person. Lilly drags her by the hand over to the couch in the living area and sits them down, staring at her avidly. 

“Logan, can you bring us some drinks, please?” She calls to the kitchen area. He smiles and busies himself opening a bottle of wine. Duncan is at the stove, stirring something that smells amazing. Lilly turns her considerable focus back to Veronica and waits expectantly. 

Veronica tries to deflect Lilly’s inquires. “It’s not actually as exciting as it sounds. I’m still training so it’s mostly just desk work anyway.” She shrugs. “I bet your job is really interesting, though. What do you do in the fashion industry?”

Veronica knows nothing about New York fashion—she owns pantsuits and workout gear, mostly. She dug out her one pair of jeans for tonight and paired it with a black work blouse. Lilly doesn’t seem offended, though, and happily regales Veronica with a story about one of the other designers and what sounds like a truly hideous dress. 

Logan hands Lilly a glass of white wine, kissing the top of her head affectionately, and begins clearing off a place on the coffee table for Veronica’s glass. A tiny flare of jealousy stirs in her chest at their casual contact but he made it clear that while he and Lilly used to date, they don’t anymore. It’s not like she’s dating him, either. 

The cluttered coffee table is covered with books and magazines. She notices Logan sticking a bookmark in ‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest’ and smiles at him. 

“I loved that series,” she comments, pointing at the book. 

“Me, too. How’s the ending?” He’s giving her his adorable lopsided smile again and her insides turn into goo. 

“Obviously I’m not going to tell you,” she smirks. “You have to finish it for yourself! I will say, though, that it’s too bad the author passed away before he could write more of them.”

Lilly scoffs. “Logan, you’re such a closet nerd.”

“It’s not really a secret, Lils.” He shrugs and hands Veronica the glass of wine he poured. “Is white okay?”

“Of course, thanks.” She takes a sip. 

“Duncan is a great cook,” Logan gushes. “I told him your stance on my healthy eating plans and he said he had just the thing. What are you making, man?” He calls, turning to the kitchen. 

“Fettuccine Alfredo,” his roommate calls back, still at the stove. “It’s almost ready. Lilly, come set the table.”

She huffs and rolls her eyes but smiles. Logan flops down into her vacated spot on the couch. “Sorry,” he whispers. “I should have warned you. Lilly is kind of...a force of nature. But she’s harmless and fun, and loyal to a fault.”

Veronica raises a brow. “Fun, huh? I think I’ve forgotten what that is. Things have definitely been all work and no play for me for a long time.” She gives him a soft smile. “Thanks again for inviting me. It’s nice to have an excuse to take a break from work.”

Logan wags his eyebrows at her. “I’d be happy to teach you all about fun.” 

Her stomach does a flip at his innuendo. “Is that a service you charge extra for or…”

“Nope. It’s free. And only offered to you.” 

He leans in closer to her and Veronica gazes into his eyes. They are warm and comforting, full of affection and also what she suspects is lust. For a moment she actually thinks he’s going to tilt his head down and kiss her—and she realizes she desperately wants him to—when Duncan calls out, “Dinner’s ready!” from the kitchen and the moment is broken. 

——

“Wow, it’s really late,” she says, stretching and checking her watch hours later. “I need to get home.”

“You’re welcome to crash here tonight, if you want,” Lilly offers. “You can take the guest bedroom. The couch is really comfy; I don’t mind.”

“I really should go,” she insists. “But thanks. I had a great time.”

Veronica realizes she’s not actually exaggerating. She did have a great time. Dinner was delicious and the easy rapport between these friends made for a comfortable environment. Duncan seemed more reserved by nature, content to let Lilly chatter on, but even he had opened up over dinner, talking about his job a bit and his political aspirations. Logan was like a third sibling in their family, teasing them both as they played a game after dinner. It made her realize that she missed things like family dinners and game nights and having friends to tease. She had shut people out of her life for too long. 

And if Logan had been casually touching her all evening—bumping her knee under the table at dinner or brushing her fingers as he collected the cards—well, she had definitely missed that, too. 

“Are you going to be okay getting home?” Logan stands up from the couch to walk her to the door. 

“Logan, I am a federal agent. Almost.” She reminds him, laughing. “I mean, I’m not armed at this moment but I’m well trained.” She meets his eyes and he smiles. 

“Yep.” He gives her his cockiest grin. “You’re gonna ace your physical fitness test next week.”

“And I’m sure you’ll take all the credit.”

“Naturally!” His eyes twinkle and he takes a step closer to her. Veronica’s breath hitches in her chest at their proximity. 

His lips brush softly against her cheek and desire floods her body. “Text me when you’re home to let me know you got there safely, okay?”

She wants to grab him and kiss him senseless. Instead, she nods mutely and turns to go. She can’t wait until their professional relationship is over...for entirely different reasons than she anticipated when they first met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter of this story will be posted on October 26.


	25. Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set during 1.8, “Like A Virgin,” an episode sorely lacking in Logan.

Logan was sure he knew all the cheerleaders by sight—and some of them rather intimately—so who was the hot blond walking out to her car? Her short hair bounces enticingly as she hurries wherever she is going and as she adjusts her bag on her shoulder, it causes her short skirt to rise up even further, exposing the back of her thigh. He thinks he might explode. 

She must feel a draft or something because she fixes her skirt—sadly—and as he watches it swing bewitchingly, he has to readjust his books to hide the growing tent in the front of his pants. Her ass is perfection. 

Is she a new freshman who just made the squad? He casually follows in her direction to try and learn who she is. Maybe he can hire Veronica Mars to find her for him. He laughs to himself at the idea. 

He sees her pause and fish car keys out of her bag. So, not a freshman. 

She walks with purpose towards Veronica’s rust bucket of a car, alone in the back of the lot. Huh. Maybe she’s meeting Veronica there?

He speeds up to try to get a glimpse of her face. She looks over her shoulder before putting the key in the driver’s side door, and OH GOD, it’s VERONICA MARS. He was totally just fantasizing about how hot she looked in her cheerleader uniform. 

Wait a minute, why was Veronica dressed like a cheerleader?

In the split second that she had turned around to check the parking lot, their eyes locked. She definitely saw him standing here. A good defense is a good offense, or some weird sports metaphor like that, so he decides to strike first. 

“I know they say to dress for the job you want, Ronnie, but I’m not sure that applies with the pep squad.”

She tosses her hair flippantly. “Haven’t you heard, Logan? I’ve got spirit. How ‘bout you?”

“Go team. Seriously, what are you doing?”

“It’s none of your business. Go away.” She rolls her eyes and he loves that she’s frustrated. 

“Oooh, are you on a case?” He taunts. 

“Yeah, the case of the missing clothes,” she mutters. “I’ll only need three clues to find out it was one of your minions.” 

Logan has no idea what she is talking about but he’s never let that stop him before. 

“Sounds nefarious. I like it.”

“You would. Now, would you get out of the way so I can go home?” She gets her door unlocked and slides in her car, motioning for him to move so that she can back out of the parking lot. 

Logan holds up one hand in mock surrender (the other is still clutching his books to his crotch to hide anything potentially embarrassing) and jumps out of the way as she squeals the tires and speeds away. 

——-

But Logan can’t stop thinking about Veronica in that cheerleading uniform. Part sexual fantasy and part something else—he thinks it might be concern, which is an emotion he definitely doesn’t want to feel for Veronica—he can’t seem to get her off his mind. 

Against his better judgment, he finds himself calling her late that evening. 

“Logan?” She answers hesitantly. “If this is a prank call, I’m hanging up.”

“Were you asleep, Mars?”

“Why are you calling me, Logan?”

“What did you mean today about the case of the missing clothes?”

He hears her sigh over the phone. “It’s nothing, Logan. Go to bed.” The silence changes and he realizes she disconnected the call. 

He takes her advice and crawls under the covers but having Veronica’s voice in his ear before closing his eyes was obviously a bad choice. He spends the entire night dreaming of her, either naked on top of him or wearing that damn cheerleading outfit, performing all kinds of sexual gymnastics. He clearly needs to do something to solve this problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I started another Promptober story. I’m not sure how it happened, but here we are. This one will continue on October 26.


	26. Tomorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This finishes my “FBI Training” AU from chapters 19-22 and 24.

“So the big fitness test is tomorrow, huh?” Logan’s voice was deep and warm in her ear as she lay in bed, talking with him on the phone before going to sleep. It had quickly become a habit between them over the past week. 

Veronica had always been more of a night owl and didn’t mind staying up late to finish work or catch up with her friends on the West coast. She enjoyed their late-night conversations. Logan, she had come to find out, didn’t sleep well and kept odd night hours because it suited him. One of the things he liked about being a personal trainer, he had told her, was that he could set his own hours. After seeing his impressive apartment, she also suspected that he worked because he wanted to, not strictly because he had to. 

“Yeah, it’s tomorrow. I’m trying not to think about it too much or else I get really nervous all over again,” Veronica confesses. 

“V, you’re gonna do great. We’ve been working really hard and you’ve been so diligent. You’ve got this.”

His pep talk has the desired effect and she smiles. “Thanks, Logan. I’ll just be glad when it’s over.” 

“Hey, I have an idea. How about I take you out to dinner tomorrow night?” He offers. “To celebrate, of course. Give you something to look forward to. I’ll even let you pick what you want, the unhealthiest thing you can think of.”

Veronica can hear the smile in his voice. “That’s sweet of you.” She takes a deep breath. “It’s a date, then.”

He doesn’t contradict her. “I’ll pick you up at 7.”

——

“So, how did it go?” Veronica opens the door to find Logan waiting anxiously in the hallway. He looks amazing in a dark tailored sports coat and slacks and he thrusts a bouquet of flowers into her hands. She’s glad that she’s not overdressed in her favorite little black dress. 

“Sorry, those are for you.” He gives her a sheepish grin. “I’ve just been waiting all day to find out the results of your fitness test.”

She motions him to come inside and gives him a dazzling smile. “25!”

“And you needed at least a 20, right?”

“Yep!” She nods. “I never could have done it without you, Logan.”

“That’s not true at all. You did all the hard work yourself. I just helped provide the motivation.”

She can’t meet his eyes at his praise and busies herself with the flowers. “These are really pretty. Thanks. I’m just gonna…” she trails off and gestures at the kitchen. “Make yourself at home.”

He follows her into the tiny kitchen and watches while she searches for a vase. 

“Aha!” She spots one in the cabinet above the refrigerator but she can’t reach it. “I don’t have my heels on yet. Could you?”

Logan moves to stand right next to her, very much in her space as he reaches up effortlessly and plucks the vase out from the back of the cabinet. His eyes, deep and intense, never leave hers and her breath hitches in her chest at their proximity. 

“Thanks,” she finally manages to squeak out after a long moment. 

Logan merely nods and lowers his head even closer to hers, setting the vase down and wetting his lips with his tongue. He glances at her mouth and then back up to her eyes. She inhales, decides to go for it, and pushes up on her tiptoes so that her lips brush against his. The kiss is sweet and gentle, exploratory, and it sends sparks flying through her body. 

Veronica pulls back to study him. His mouth quirks up in that lopsided half-smile that gives her butterflies and she winds her arms around his neck and kisses him again, this time deepening the intensity. She opens her mouth slightly and allows his tongue inside to twist around hers. His hands, anchored on her hips, move so that one is pressing on her lower back and the other tangles in her curls, holding her close. She allows herself to get lost in the pleasure of it before breaking away, panting for breath. 

“Logan,” She moans as he slides his lips to her neck and sucks lightly on her sensitive skin. Oh god, that’s amazing and she can feel the blood rushing through her veins as heat builds in her core. She slides her leg up his and he hooks his fingers under her thigh so that she can climb him like she wants. 

He pulls her closer, lifting her up and setting her on the kitchen counter, hiking up her dress so that he fits in between her legs. She strips him of his sports coat, dropping it on the floor, and begins unbuttoning his shirt. His fingers find her zipper as cool air rushes over her back. 

She pushes his shirt off his shoulders and down his arms, marveling at his well defined chest and biceps. This should be how he advertises his services—a picture of him, shirtless, would have men and women lined up around the block for personal training sessions. 

Logan tugs the straps of her dress off her shoulders and cups her breasts, running his thumbs over her tight, satin-covered nipples. She groans in pleasure and he moves aside her lacy black bra and bends his head to her breast, gently sucking her nipple into his mouth. He trails his lips back up to her mouth and she begins fumbling with his belt, trying to get it undone. After three tugs—she was rather distracted by his hot mouth on hers and the dexterity with which he removed her bra—she feels the belt give way and she unbuttons and unzips his pants, pushing them down his hips and running her fingers over his abs. Oh god, his abs. She wants to make a quip about doing her laundry on them later but her mind is spinning too fast to come up with something witty. She digs her thumbs into his Adonis lines and he groans into her mouth. She decides she’s definitely putting her tongue there later. She allows her fingers to wander past the waistband of his boxers and he gasps, breaking their kiss as she brushes over his hardness. 

“Oh, god, Veronica,” he pants. His hands are still cupping her face, his thumbs gently tracing her cheekbones while he gazes at her intently. His brown eyes are dark with lust and they widen as she pushes his underwear down over his hips, using her feet to help. He groans again and the prickly hair on his legs tickles her toes exquisitely. 

“Hang on.” Logan bends down and retrieves a condom from the wallet in his discarded pants and kicks them off, along with his socks and shoes. 

“Is this okay?” He holds up the foil package and Veronica nods, hopping down off the counter to shed her dress and underwear. 

“Bed?” He offers as Veronica moves back up onto the kitchen countertop and pulls him to her. 

She shakes her head. “No time. Maybe for the next round.” She gives him a baudy wink as she grabs his hips and wraps her legs around his waist again. He has opened the condom with his teeth (which shouldn’t be hot but is) and rolls it on. She shifts and slides his length inside her, gasping at the contact. Logan lets out a hiss and swears under his breath, grabbing her hips and pushing deeper inside her as his thumbs brush against her core. She throws her head back and pulls him even closer, digging her heels into his back as he thrusts. His thumbs match the rhythm of his thrusts and it doesn’t take long before her muscles are clenching around him, all her pent-up tension releasing in a mind blowing orgasm. Logan thrusts inside her once more and then follows, coming with a low moan. 

He rests his forehead on her shoulder, panting softly. His hands are cradling her back, running up and down her spine comfortingly. 

“Um.” She giggles, meeting his eyes as he lifts his head. “I didn’t plan on doing that before dinner. I mean, it’s not like I was planning it for later, either—”

“Veronica,” His eyes twinkle at her. “I’ve been thinking about doing that since I first saw your ass in those tight little workout pants you wear. It’s even better than I imagined.” He playfully swats her butt as he slides out and lifts her off the counter. Good, she’s glad to see her legs still function, even if they are a little wobbly. 

“Bathroom?” He asks and she points him in the right direction, scooping her clothes up off the floor. 

“Hey, Veronica,” he calls out from the hallway, “I’d still like to take you out for dinner, if you want.”

“Nah,” she calls back, heading to her room. “Maybe next time. Let’s just order pizza and stay in. I might even let you see my bedsheets if you play your cards right.”

He pads in and nuzzles her neck while she’s hanging up her dress. “Mmm.” She can feel him getting hard again behind her. Apparently his stamina on the treadmill has transferred over to other areas, as well. 

Logan quickly scoops her up before she can say anything else and tosses her on the bed. “If you liked the kitchen counter, imagine how much you’ll like what I can do in a bed.” 

He lays down at the other end of the bed and begins kissing his way up her body, starting with the arches of her feet. 

“Oh, you’re right. This does offer some...amenities that my kitchen was lacking.” She’s panting and her toes start to curl in anticipation as his lips leave wet circles on her thighs. 

He’s placing kisses everywhere but where she wants him to and it’s driving her crazy; she’s sure she’s dripping wet. He stops to suck on spot by her hip bone and she grabs the headboard to keep from thrashing. Little moans are coming out of the back of her throat and when he finally licks her center she clamps her legs around his shoulders and comes harder than she ever has in her life. 

Logan gives her a satisfied smirk and moves back up her body, detouring to kiss her breasts and neck before she grabs his head and pulls his lips to hers. 

She breaks away, fumbling in the nightstand by her bed for a condom. “I’m so, so glad Jackie had to go to New York. Although I hated you at first,” she confesses as her fingers close around the foil wrapper. 

“Moi?” Logan’s eyes widen in mock surprise as he snatches the condom from her and opens it, settling between her legs. 

“I thought you were a jackass. And you made me do sit-ups.” Her nose wrinkles in disgust. 

“You paid me to make you do sit-ups,” he points out, his voice strained as she wiggles beneath him. “The jackass persona was free.”

He slides inside her with a sharp intake of breath. “I couldn’t let you know how hot I thought you were. And then I got to know you, your determination…” His voice faded away on a moan. 

“Good job driving me away.” She rolls her hips and tightens her legs around him, moving to match his thrusts. 

“I had kind of forgotten how to interact with people. Perhaps I misread the signals?” Veronica is panting slightly. 

“Or perhaps I got distracted by your amazing ass and forgot to keep sending them.” Logan gives it a squeeze to emphasize his point. 

“I’m pretty happy about that right now.”

Based on the noises he’s making, Veronica gathers that Logan is pretty ridiculously happy about the turn of events, too. 

She didn’t expect this, but maybe it’s exactly what she needs.


	27. Sparkles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This continues a little season 1 AU started in chapter 25, “Spirit.”

After avoiding Veronica for a week—which is surprisingly harder than he expected—and trying unsuccessfully to get her out of his head, Logan decides that it’s time to be more aggressive about it. 

He corners her that afternoon in the journalism room. He had eavesdropped earlier and knew she was staying after to work on something so he can torment her without an audience and just get over...whatever this is. 

He’s sulking behind a bank of computers so she doesn’t see him when she walks in and settles down at one of the workstations. He pops up quickly and she jerks, startled, yanking her earbuds out and yelling, “Geeze, Logan!”

Her hand is pressed to her chest and he can see that her breath is coming fast. Good. Catching her off guard is all part of his plan. As long as he has the last word, this should work out perfectly. 

He smirks at her and she barks, “Stalk much? What do you want?”

“Just enjoying the sparkles in your eyes,” he teases. At which point she rolls them in his direction. 

“Look, Logan. I have to finish this spread, infiltrate a cult, and get the fan belt fixed on my car. So if you’re not here to help, just move along and find someone else to harass. I don’t have time today.”

“Infiltrate a cult? Can I help? Do you need a ride?”

What is he saying? He was supposed to come in here to pester her, get the upper hand, and get her out of his head. What is he doing?

She eyes him suspiciously, probably wondering the same thing. 

“It’s for a case,” she explains, haltingly. “Did you just offer to give me a ride so you can abandon me somewhere?”

He laughs. “That totally sounds like something I would do. But I was actually being sincere.”

She continues to stare at him like he’s lost his mind. And maybe he has. “I’ll pass,” she finally says. 

“C’mon, Veronica. Let me come with you.” Now that he’s suggested the idea, he desperately, desperately needs her to say yes. 

She eyes him like he’s a particularly horrible insect. “No way.”

“You know I’m just gonna bug you until you give in. And I know exactly how to annoy you best.”

She sighs, because it’s true, and gives in. “All right, fine. Wanna join a cult with me?”

“Veronica Mars, I thought you’d never ask.”

——-

“What do we need to infiltrate this cult?” He asks as he follows her driving directions to the middle of nowhere. 

She checks off points on her fingers. “Moody, adolescent attitude? Chip on our shoulders? Distrust of authority?”

“Wow, it’s amazing we haven’t already joined a cult. Maybe we should start our own.”

“Well, you also need a desire to interact with people, so…” she trails off. 

“Oh yeah, I forgot. I hate people.”

“Pretend for the next hour or so, okay?”

——

Logan pulls up where she directs and puts his Xterra in park. “How do you want to play this?”

“How well do you know Casey Gant?”

Seems like an odd non sequitur to him, but Logan goes with it. He tilts his hand in a ‘so-so’ motion. 

Veronica sighs. “I’m trying to find out how involved he is in this whole cult thing and if they’re doing anything illegal here.” Logan raises a brow but she’s still preoccupied with her schemes, thinking aloud, and not really paying attention to him.

“Us as a couple would be the most believable...Maybe a secret thing so he doesn’t mention it at school…I’m not sure we can pull it off, though…”

He can’t believe that Veronica wants him to be her fake boyfriend. 

She turns to him, laser focus snapping back. “Why are doing this? How do I know I can trust you?”

He gulps. Why is he doing this? He thought he hated Veronica. But once he saw her in that cheerleading uniform, everything changed. Now there’s this weird (obviously one-sided) attraction that he feels, but more than that, he was reminded of Pep Squad Veronica, of the girl who used to be his friend. Duncan has checked out and a friend, even one found in an enemy, would be nice. 

“Lilly.” His voice is raspy. “Lilly would hate what’s happened to us, the way we treat each other. The way I treated you.” He clears his throat. “That’s how you know you can trust me.”

She eyes him for a long moment, weighing his answer, and then nods decisively. 

“Okay. Here’s the plan. We’re a secret couple, Romeo and Juliet style, looking for a little support and acceptance. These people should eat that up. I was out here a few days ago and, yeah, I think forbidden love will fly pretty well.”

She puts her hand on the door handle to open it but stops and turns back to him. “Don’t blow this for me, Echolls. And if you’re lying, the acts of revenge you’ve seen so far will pale in comparison to the levels of hell that I will bring down upon you.”


	28. Medication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a stand-alone post MKAT story.

Logan.” Keith Mars’ voice sounds exhausted on his voicemail. “I'm at the hospital with Veronica. She asked me to call you. She's fine, getting X rays now. She doesn't want you to worry but I think she’ll be home late.”

Hospital? Getting X rays? Doesn't want him to worry? Keith officially leaves the worst voicemails in the history of the world. 

Logan checks his watch as he hops in his car and heads home. He is already pushing the Bluetooth buttons on the steering wheel to call Keith back. 

The call rings four times, then goes to voicemail. Dammit. 

He tried Mac next, and the Mars Investigations office just in case, too, but no one picks up. 

He tells himself that she's fine, Keith said so in his voicemail. He'd at least like to know which hospital to head to. 

He tries the Balboa County hospital first, because it's on his way. He's still in uniform from work and that helps as he gives his most charming grin to the disgruntled receptionist behind the main intake desk. That's good, because lying to her while in his uniform is frowned upon. He was going to make up an elaborate story about how he returned home from a war zone to discover his girlfriend was in the hospital--maybe even give her a fatal illness, it was a pretty involved backstory--but LaDonica just sighs and gives him the information. “Still in the ER. Good luck.”

After wandering around the ER (he would have totally been kicked out if not for the uniform, he’s sure of it) a kind nurse takes pity on him and shows him to the tiny curtained-off area housing Veronica. 

She and Keith are sporting matching grumpy looks on their faces. He takes a deep breath and prepares himself for their obvious irritation. 

“Babe, are you okay? What happened?” 

If possible, Veronica’s frown deepens. She mumbles something but he doesn’t catch it over the hospital noise. 

“What was that?”

“I rolled it off a curb,” she bites out, glaring. 

Logan desperately wants to make fun of her but he knows better. He glances at Keith who gestures at the black cast housing her ankle. Her jeans have been rolled up and she’s holding her unnecessary shoe and sock. 

“She’s fine. It’s just a fracture so it should heal quickly.”

Logan nods and Keith continues, “She was hoping for one of those boot casts but the X ray tech quickly realized that if she had something she could take off, she’d never heal.” 

Logan can’t stop the laugh that escapes at that but at Veronica’s wrathful glare he turns it into a cough. 

“Oh yeah?” He asked mildly. “How did they get that impression.”

“I gave it to them.” Keith shrugs, unrepentant. 

He turns to Logan and claps him on the shoulder a little harder than necessary. His eyes are narrowed in anger. “Good luck with this one, son. I’m out.”

Logan watches Veronica’s dad throw aside the curtain and walk out of the E.R. before turning to his girlfriend. 

“Why is he so upset with you?”

Veronica waves her hand expansively and rolls her eyes, evading the topic. 

“I feel terrible. Can we get my medication and go home?” 

He knows she’s playing on his sympathy so that he will drop whatever she was arguing about with her dad, but he figures he can let her get away with it temporarily because she does have a broken ankle, after all. 

“Do you need some crutches, Bobcat?” he asks as she struggles to her feet, swearing. 

He knows his jackass smile has spread across his face but his badass girlfriend, dependent on him for help because she tripped, is just too good to pass up. 

——

Logan manages to get Veronica, her prescription, and her crutches safely into the apartment without too much trouble. 

She is a terrible patient. He gets her situated on the couch with a bowl of cereal—her choice—and the TV remote while he takes a quick trip outside with Pony. 

He’s pretty sure the dog can tell Veronica is irritated because she gives her owner a wide berth and curls up on her dog bed after heading back inside. 

While she complains that there’s nothing on TV, Logan takes care of her cereal bowl. 

“Alright, time for bed.” He is brusque, hoping that if he assumes an air of authority she won’t argue. 

Veronica flips him off and swears under her breath but she does get off the couch and hobbles to their bedroom. 

“Logan,” she calls out, frustrated, a few minutes later. 

He enters the room to find her on the bed, tangled up in her pants. 

“I can’t get them off over my cast,” she huffs. 

Logan sits down beside her and smooths her hair, kissing the top of her head. 

“I know it’s been a long day, Babe.” He starts patiently stretching the ankle of her skinny jeans and tugging it over her cast. “I’ll stay home tomorrow and wait on you, fulfill your every whim. You can boss me around.” He winks and is gratified by the small smile that tugs at her lips. 

He carefully folds her jeans and then pulls her shirt off over her head, tossing her one of his t-shirts to wear to bed. “Do you need anything else?”

He can tell she’s miserable as she shakes her head. 

“Logan,” she calls as he turns to go back out to the living room. “I’m sorry. I know I’m the worst. Thanks for taking care of me.”

He smiles and comes back over to kiss her head again. “Yeah. You kind of are. But I like you anyway.”

He laughs at her fake annoyance and sits down next to her on the bed. “What happened between you and your dad today?”

She glances away and he can tell she’s debating about how much truth to reveal to him. Finally, she sighs. 

“He was pissed at me.”

“For breaking your ankle?” Logan runs his hand through his short hair. “That doesn’t sound like him.”

Veronica shakes her head. “For changing my next of kin contact information on my insurance forms.”

He raises a questioning brow. 

She blows out a breath. “Well, it used to be my dad but a few months ago, I changed it to you.”

All the breath rushes out of his chest and he’s glad he’s sitting down. 

“Oh?” is all he manages faintly. 

“Is that okay? I mean, we’ve been living together and I just thought it would make more sense—”

Logan grabs her and brings her to him in a searing kiss. Veronica’s not particularly romantic and she’s always claimed she’s never getting married, so being listed as her next of kin might be as close he gets to a lifetime commitment. 

She seems a little taken aback by his voracious response and pulls away, breathing heavily. 

“Logan, are you okay?”

“Mmm-Hmm.” He nods into her neck and starts sucking lightly on her pulse point. That always does the trick, and yep, it’s not long before she’s boneless, practically melting in his arms. 

“What—what brought this on?” She pants. 

“That just makes me happy, is all.”

“You’re oddly easy to please sometimes.”

“I’d be pretty easy to please right now.” He raises his eyebrows suggestively at her and she laughs. “Did the doctor give you any activity restrictions? Because I’m pretty sure I can get creative.”

She snorts. “I’m aware.”

He places a tiny kiss on the tip of her nose. “I should probably let you sleep, anyway. You’ve had a long day.”

Veronica groans. “You’re not wrong about that. We’ll have plenty of time for your creative ideas while I’m stuck in this cast.”

“Ooh, so I’ll have lots of time to plan and fantasize. I like it.” He winks at her. 

Logan quickly gets ready for bed and then slides under the sheets next to Veronica. He’s content to hold her close all night while they sleep and rest in the knowledge that as much as she will ever let herself belong to another person, she’s his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had actually started this story months ago so this was an awesome chance to finish it!


	29. Fright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This continues my season 1 AU from chapters 25 and 27.

Veronica is still not sure why Logan wanted to tag along with her today, but it was kind of providential. She had needed a ride and she could tell her dad that she had brought muscle if she got caught. (Although it would be best to just not get caught.) She still wasn’t going to trust him, of course; she hadn’t lost her mind, but she wasn’t above using him, either. 

They meet around the front of the car and Logan grasps her hand. Shivers run up her spine at the contact but it must have been from a sudden gust of wind. 

“Let’s go, Schnookums.” 

“Of course, Pookie.” Veronica gives him her fakest smile and squeezes his hand hard enough to hurt. “Miss Mills!” She waves across the field. 

“Veronica! I’m so glad you came.” The tall blond teacher sizes up Logan. “And Logan. This is...a surprise.” Her face makes it clear it’s not a pleasant one. 

He ducks his head and turns on the charm. “I know I probably haven’t always been the nicest, Miss Mills, but Veronica makes me want to be a better man.”

Veronica refrains from gagging but Miss Mills eats it up. She practically simpers at Logan and says, “Oh, welcome, then. We’re glad to have you. I didn’t realize,” she gestures at their clasped hands and trails off. 

“Yeah, it’s kind of a secret at school. But here, I knew we’d be accepted.”

“Oh, absolutely!” Miss Mills gushes. 

As they meander over to a group of young adults preparing dinner, Casey Gant turns around and raises a skeptical eyebrow at Veronica and Logan. 

“Wow.” He deadpans. “Not what I was expecting, Veronica.”

This time Logan rushes to defend their fake relationship. “It’s all an act at school, man,” he explains. “Duncan would freak out. But Veronica said this place is cool.”

Veronica looks up at him in surprise. Maybe Logan will be better at this than she first anticipated. He must get his acting skills from his mom. 

“So how did you find out about this place, Casey? How long have you been hanging out here?” Logan is questioning Casey. If he wasn’t her mortal enemy these days, he’d make an awesome friend. 

“I think Miss Mills mentioned it a few months ago. I just—everything else started to seem so shallow, you know?”

Logan nodded his head at Casey’s explanation “Yeah, man. Totally.”

“Well, I’m really glad you guys are here. I think you’ll like it but it’s—it’s probably different from what you’re used to.”

No household staff to wait upon you in your mansion? Definitely. Veronica refrains from snorting. 

“Different is just what I’m looking for,” Logan replies eagerly. 

“Casey, do you think it would be okay if I showed Logan around?” Veronica asks. 

“Oh, yeah, go ahead. Make yourself at home.” He smiles benignly and gestures expansively, walking off to help make dinner. 

Veronica turns to Logan, wraps her arms around his neck and pulls head down to her ear to whisper in what must look like an intimate couple pose. “There’s a barn with some outbuildings. The barn I’ve seen but I want to know what’s in the other building behind it.”

“Of course you do.” He chuckles sardonically and they are pressed so closely together she feels it resonate through her whole body. “I’m sure we can make that happen.”

“Great.” Veronica slides her hand down from his neck to squeeze his bicep (which is more impressive than she expected) and gives him her fake perky smile again. “Let’s go, lover.”

His face falls and she realizes that’s what Lilly always used to call him. 

“Sorry, Logan, I shouldn’t have said that.” Why does she suddenly care if she hurts his feelings? He’s been awful to her for a year now. But she saw the light go out of his eyes and she suddenly doesn’t want to be the person who does that to Logan anymore. 

“I’m sorry,” she apologizes again and grabs his hand. “Let’s go. Play along, okay?”

He nods and pastes a faux lovesick smile on his face and then stops and picks her up, spinning her around. She is acutely aware of his hands on her hips and it makes her breathless, almost dizzy. 

“What are you doing?” She hisses. 

Logan leans down and nuzzles her neck. Oh, god. Warmth surges down from his lips on her pulse point to her core and she has to force herself not to gasp or give him better access to that spot. She digs her fingers into his shoulders, hard. 

“Like that, do you, Veronica?” His smug tone makes her furious and she pinches him. “I just thought it would fit our cover if we wanted to sneak into this barn for some, you know, alone time.”

“It tickles, so stop.” She doesn’t admit it to him but it actually is a believable plan. She’d just like it better if it didn’t involve a fake make out with Logan. 

Logan is doing his silly twirly walk as he grabs her hand and leads them over to the barn. 

“Is it red?” She hears his whisper under his breath. 

“No,” she whispers back. 

“Then it’s not a barn!” 

They both crack up at the memory of Duncan forcing them to watch ‘Dude, Where’s My Car,’ when it was his turn to pick on movie nights. 

“So are you hoping to find worshippers of Zoltan in here?” He asks, sneaking them around the barn—she can hear the neighing horse inside—to another wooden structure behind it. 

“You know you’ve always wanted one of those bubble wrap suits,” she replies, but she’s distracted by the outbuilding. There is a massive chain and padlock holding the doors closed and most of the vegetation around the area is dead. 

“Keep a lookout,” Veronica instructs as she pulls her lock picks out of her messenger bag and begins working on the lock. 

Logan inhales sharply. “Veronica, I don’t know a lot about barns...but shouldn’t it smell, I dunno, like the zoo? It smells like Mrs. Navarro just washed the windows.”

“It’s not a great sign.” Her suspicions are growing but she needs to get in there to actually see what’s going on before accusing these people of anything illegal. 

Logan starts whistling the ‘Jeopardy’ theme music and she shoots him a glare. Finally, the pick engages and the padlock tugs open. Veronica quietly pulls the chain off the handles and peers in the doorway to the barn. 

The ammonia smell immediately gets stronger. The dirt floor of the barn is covered in 2 liter soda bottles with plastic tubing coming out the tops. 

Logan peeks inside over the top of her head. “What the hell?” He asks quietly. 

Veronica swears and pushes the doors closed. Her breath is coming fast and her heart is racing, making her hands shake. “Logan, we’ve gotta get out of here. Help me with the chain.”

She is frantically trying to loop the chain back through the door handles and secure the padlock. 

“Veronica, what’s going on? What’s wrong?” 

“I’m pretty sure that’s a meth lab. A really big one. They are really volatile, really dangerous to be around. We’ve gotta get out of here and call the police.”

The padlock clicks in place and Veronica swings around to look at Logan, her eyes wide with fright. 

“Hey, what are you two doing back here? This area’s off limits!”

Immediately Logan moves his mouth to hers. He grips her hips and bends his head down and kisses her. Adrenaline was already racing through her body and then suddenly she can’t catch her breath—because Logan Echolls is kissing her. It was probably supposed to be a fake kiss, as part of their cover, but she was surprised and his lips feel so amazing on hers, and she forgets and opens her mouth, sliding her tongue to twine around his. Her hands wind around his neck, feeling the soft yet prickly hair on the back of his head as she runs her fingers through it. 

“Hey, stop that!” The irate voice yelled. 

Logan pulls away from her, panting, and thankfully he has the presence of mind to stay in character. 

“Sorry, man.” He looks ashamed. “I guess I got carried away.”

Veronica’s out of body experience finally ceases (because what else could that have been?) and their circumstances snap back into focus. Josh, the creepy cult leader—and probable meth dealer—is standing in front of them, obviously furious and blocking the way of escape.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so embarrassed.” She manages a giggle to go along with her ditzy Amber voice. “I didn’t realize—”

“This is not the place to come make out with your boyfriend!” She can see the anger in his eyes and she grips Logan’s hand tightly. “We are an accepting community but free love is not the point. I think you two should leave!”

“I’m so, so sorry!” Veronica desperately hoped that he doesn’t think the padlock is out of place. “We were just, well—we’ll just be going.”

They don’t say anything as they quickly walk back to Logan’s car. Veronica has to force herself to not break into a run and she’s grateful for Logan’s fingers still interlocked with hers, anchoring her along the wooded path. 

Her breathing is ragged, close to sobs, as Logan helps her into his Xterra, his hand comforting on the small of her back. He hurries into the driver's seat and pulls out of the wooded lot as fast as safely possible. 

“Logan,” she places her hand on his forearm. His knuckles are white on the steering wheel. “We have to get Casey.”

“Call him.” He digs his phone out of his pocket and tosses it to her. “I’m not taking you back there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will continue tomorrow.


	30. Trick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continued from yesterday

“Dad.” Veronica presses the phone to her ear and while she tries to stay calm she know her dad will be able to hear how close to tears she really is. 

“Veronica? What’s going on? Where are you?”

The sound of her dad’s voice and all it represents—safety, security, home—causes the damn to break and all her emotions pour out. She starts sobbing into the phone. 

“Veronica! Veronica, are you okay?” She can hear him yelling frantically. 

Logan snatches the phone from her grasp. “Mr. Mars, Veronica is fine, just a little upset.”

“What?” Her dad sounds tinny and far away but she can still hear his agitation through the line. She does her best to calm down before he has a heart attack. “Who is—is this Logan? Is this a trick?”

“It’s Logan, Mr. Mars, and we, Veronica and I, well—”

Veronica takes a deep breath and grabs the phone back from Logan. “Dad, I know you’re going to be upset about this, but it’s definitely a cult and you need to call the sheriff’s department. We’ve gotta get those people out of there; it’s a huge meth lab.” Her voice has regained its steadiness and she braces for another round of her father’s anger. 

“What! I told you to stay away from those people, Veronica, and this is exactly why!”

“I know, Dad, but I’m fine and you’ve gotta get those people out of there.”

“Are you sure, honey?”

She nods, even though he can’t see her. “You taught me the signs to look for. Ammonia smell, 2 liters, tubing, all the warnings.”

“You didn’t—”

She cuts him off. “Of course I didn’t touch anything, Dad, I’m not stupid. But I saw it.” She pauses, debating about the lecture she knows she’s going to get and if it’s worth getting grounded, too. But ultimately it is. “And, Dad, they might suspect that we saw it so time is of the essence.”

“Veronica!” He explodes. She holds the phone out from her ear. 

“I know, Dad. I’m sorry. But please, please call the sheriff.”

——-

Six hours later, Veronica and Logan are sitting on a bench by the intake desk in the sheriff’s office. Veronica had dozed off about 45 minutes ago and has her head resting on his shoulder. 

It seems like everything is mostly done—statements made, minors protected, information verified—and Logan’s not sure why they haven’t sent them home yet. But Veronica Mars is asleep with her head on his shoulder and he’s surprised to find he likes that state of affairs very much so he’s not really been bugging anyone to let him leave. His parents are out of town—it’s not like anyone cares where he is at 2 a.m. anyway. 

Keith Mars comes in and Veronica stirs, sitting up to face her dad as he pulls a chair up to sit across from them. 

“Is everyone okay?” She asks. 

“Dismantling a meth lab is a tricky thing, Veronica.” His eyes are serious, locked on his daughter. “They had to call in the state police task force who specialize in it. But I do know that they were able to safely remove all the civilians.” He pauses and eyes Veronica slyly. “Your friend Casey wasn’t among them, I noticed.”

Logan ducks his head. “We didn’t want him to get hurt or in trouble.”

“I talked to him a little at school, Dad, and I’m positive he didn’t know about the drugs.”

Keith sighs. “The police may want to decide that for themselves, honey.” He stands. “For now, it’s time to get you home.”

He stands and turns to Logan. “Since your parents are out of town, you’re coming home with us.”

“Oh, no, sir, that’s not necessary—”

Keith cuts him off. “It’s 2 in the morning. We’re not arguing about this.”


	31. Treat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This finishes the season one AU from yesterday.

Logan hadn’t been to the Mars residence since they had moved out of their house after Veronica’s dad lost his job. He looks around their apartment curiously. The whole space would probably fit inside his bedroom and he wonders what it would be like to live in 800 square feet instead of 8,000. 

Keith rummages through a tiny closet in the hallway and returns with a pillow and a blanket and hands them to Logan. 

“No school for either of you in the morning. I have more questions,” he turns to Logan with an accusing finger, “So don’t think you can sneak out.”

Logan gulps and nods. “Yes, sir.”

Keith starts to head to his bedroom but stops in the middle of the hallway and turns around. “Obviously you are sleeping on the couch,” he points at Logan, “and you’re sleeping in your bed.” He points at Veronica and she blushes all the way up to her hairline. 

“Dad!” She hisses. 

“Just reminding you about the house rules.” With that he closes the door to his room and Logan breathes a sigh of relief. 

“Your dad is kinda scary,” he confesses to Veronica in a stage whisper. 

She snorts. “Tell me about it.” She flops down onto the couch. “I’m sorry he forced you to spend the night here.”

He sets the bedding on the floor and sits next to her, not sure how much space to leave between them. “It’s really okay.”

He meets Veronica eyes and his mouth instantly goes dry. He can’t think of anything to say while the moment stretches into awkwardness and out of all the things that happened today, suddenly all he can remember is what it felt like to kiss her. 

“Um, I should go to bed. C’mon, I’ll show you where the bathroom is.” Veronica stands up and he follows her. 

After he uses the bathroom, they switch places and he flops down on her bed to wait for her, enveloped in the powdery clean girl smell that is her. He thinks some more about kissing her until she emerges from the bathroom, clad in pajamas, and sits down gingerly on the edge of the bed next to him. 

Logan’s head is on her pillow and it smells like her watermelon shampoo. He sits up suddenly, too full of her. 

“Listen, Veronica, about earlier—”

But she cuts him off, turning to face him and crossing her legs underneath her. “Thanks for everything today. I’m glad I wasn’t by myself.” She must realize how that sounds because she looks away and amends her statement. “I’m glad you were there. That was quick thinking to get us out of there and—”

This time he interrupts her. “I’m sorry, Veronica, for everything. I don’t want to treat you like that anymore. Can we be—”

He stops. He was going to say ‘friends’ but after kissing her, after all the thoughts he’s had about her in that cheerleading uniform, he’s not sure that he wants to just be her friend. It was supposed to just be a fake kiss, but nothing about it was pretend to Logan anymore. 

He reaches out his hand to stroke her face tenderly. Her eyes are wide with surprise and something else. He can see her pulse jumping frantically in her neck and he desperately wants to put his lips there. 

Veronica rises up on her knees and gently brushes her lips against his. His hands cup her face as her fingers move to his shoulders. It is a gentle, sweet kiss, with the hint of future possibilities and questions and surprise. 

She pulls away and he stares into her blue eyes, seeking confirmation. He finds it and pulls her to him, deepening their connection. He licks at the seam of her lips and she eases her mouth open, letting his tongue inside to twine around hers. Veronica moves her fingers from his shoulders to tangle in his hair and his hands slip around her waist, holding her close. 

Breathless, she pulls away. “Logan, what is this? What are we doing?”

He realizes that he’s panting, too. “I don’t know, but I’d like the chance to find out.” He kisses her again, quickly, because her lips are red and puffy and now he knows, infinitely kissable. 

“But, Lilly—Duncan—,”

“I don’t think Lilly would mind. And Duncan will have to get over it.” He clears his throat. “I like you. I’d like to spend more time with you. Is that okay?”

Her eyes search his again before straying to glance at his lips. He can’t help the smirk that crosses his features. 

“Jackass,” Veronica mumbles, but it sounds more like an endearment than an insult. Her eyes twinkle, taking the sting out of it. 

Logan nods. “You’ll always have something to yell at me for. You know how you like that.”

She shifts to straddle him and gives him a smug grin. “Maybe I do. Or maybe you could start listening.”

He’s not sure what it says about him that Veronica taunting him is a turn on, but he figures he can dwell on his psyche later, when she’s not sitting on his lap. 

“Now where’s the fun in that?” He murmurs, sliding his hands up her back, pressing against her shoulder blades and closing the distance between them to kiss her again. He can tell the moment that she relaxes into it, almost like she’s melting against him, and he grips her even tighter. 

“Fun, huh?” She pulls back and narrows her eyes at him, weighing things. “Maybe we should keep it quiet for a little bit, see where this takes us before we spring it will on Neptune High.”

Logan shrugs. “Yeah, okay. Relax the hostility gradually?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Veronica kisses him and his fingers trace her skin along the hem of her t-shirt. She moans in his mouth and there’s no way she misses what that does to him—she’s sitting on top of him, after all. 

Suddenly, there’s a muffled pounding on the wall opposite Veronica’s bed. They break apart guiltily. 

“Kids, the walls are thin. It’s 3 in the morning. Go to bed. In separate rooms,” Keith calls. 

Logan reluctantly places a gentle kiss on Veronica’s forehead and shifts her off his lap—adjusting his jeans surreptitiously. 

“Goodnight, Veronica. See you in the morning.”

“‘Night, Logan. Sleep well.”

As he settles down on the couch in Veronica’s living room, he marvels at the turn of events that brought him here. He’s ridiculously thankful that Veronica had to wear that cheerleading uniform or he may never have acknowledged what was under his nose the whole time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to AdorkableAuthor for organizing Promptober and to all of you who’ve left such encouraging comments!! It’s been awesome.


End file.
